Crowsnest Pass Herald

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- Your onlY locallY owned newspaper • serving the cnp since 1930 • JanuarY 9, 2019 ~ vol. 89 no. 2 -

Wind power ...

$1.00

Kyle Wilkinson photo Anna Kroupina photo

On December 29, 2018 a wind warning was issued for the Crowsnest Pass as well as the southwest corner of the province A grass fire north of Cowley and along Highway-22, caused fire crews to try to supress the blaze that was spread by sustained wind speeds over 100-kmph. Motorists reported car damage driving through gravel being blown by the wind. Vehicles in Bellevue reported their car windows being blow out during the gusts. Wind speed signs recorded peak bursts of 167, 181 and 187 -- before the wind sign just west of the Hwy 22 turnoff broke under the strain.

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2 – croWSneST PASS HerALD – Wednesday, January 9, 2019

“The Wind She Blew Some” John Kinnear Feature Writer

The headline comes from the Blairmore Times, Sept 23 1905. The following is a selection of the very many articles on wind that have appeared in Pass newspapers between 1905 and 1957, compiled by Ian McKenzie for the August 2011 edition of the Crowsnest Heritage Initiative Newsletter.

Blairmore Times, Sept 2 1905 - Monday morning while Mark Drumm, editor of the Frank Paper, was sitting at his desk a gust of wind smashed the window hurling the fragments in his face. Mark had a tooth knocked out and received some severe cuts that required several stitches at the hands of Dr. Malcolmson.

Blairmore Times, Sept 23 1905 - Taking advantage of no one being there to blow back, both the mine and smelter management being absent, the wind played tag with things around Frank last Wednesday. While ordinarily the wind only blows a gale at Frank, on Wednesday it gave them an imitation of a cyclone ripped up sidewalks, broke windows and walked off with everything not nailed down.

Frank Paper, Sept 28 1905 - A.W. Ponton, D.L.S., who is conducting surveying operations for the provincial government in this district is not at all favorably impressed with the murmuring breezes that occasionally spring up in the pass and he has a very good reason for it.

One of them was unkind enough to wreck his camp a few days ago and in doing so used Mr. Ponton anything but gently... He was camped on the hill above the slide on one of those days that the wind played such pranks and was lying down by the stove in the main tent when one of the gusts hit camp. The other men in camp heard what was

coming and got outside but Mr. Ponton who does not hear well, knew nothing except that the canvas was flapping harder than usual. That did not disturb him however and he laid still. Presently the tent went in the air like a balloon, the stove was knocked over onto Mr. Ponton who was severely burned and considerably bruised by being hit by falling missiles. As to the camp, it was scattered broadcast and now Mr. Ponton declares he is going to provide himself one of the armored cars the British used in South Africa and mount it on wagon wheels as a place to live in when he comes this way surveying again.

Frank Paper, Jan 11 1906 - Not since the celebrated incident of four years ago, when a twentyfour foot plank was driven through the side of Rondoni’s house has the wind blown in Frank as it did Monday morning for a couple of hours… D.E. Barry was assisting Henry Brouillette to unload a car of furniture for Alex.

Goyette and was riding on a load of mattresses when a gust picked up man and the mattress he was sitting on and lifted both bodily off the wagon. Then it turned him over and he lighted on the ground with the mattress on top instead of under him…

Mr. Chambers of the Sanitarium was blown down in the street and sustained some painful bruises. A woman crossing Dominion Avenue was blown off her feet and before she could gather herself together or assistance could reach her she rolled clear across the street. …the people generally feel they could very well afford to dispense with such extremely ardent caresses from the Chinook zephyrs.

Frank Paper, December 26 1907 - The wind made a new record for itself Monday evening. Old

timers say it was the hardest blow the town has ever known… A section of the roof of the coal company’s power house at the shaft was blown off, part of the wall of one of the new brick buildings being built by the cement company at Blairmore blew down, a few telephone poles were tipped over and a number of windows broken.

Coleman Miner, Nov 6 1908 - The Union hotel had several windows blown in and a part of their metallic roofing carried away, 41 Meat Market had their large windows and doors blown in as well as the west and front end of the roof loosened from the building, P. Burns and Co. lost a few windows, a large piece of the C.A.C & Co. tipple roof was torn off and carried over the tracks, telephone poles were snapped off and that portion of the sidewalk between Dominion Avenue and the C.P.R. station was completely taken away and distributed in various parts of the town. The Geo. Cobley Co. suffered a heavy loss in the destruction of two large plate glass windows as well as having considerable damage done to goods which were on show in their windows. There was a continual procession of tin cans, stove pipes, rocks and boards travelling down main and other streets for several hours. Luckily no one was on the streets at that time of the night or we might have been called upon to report more serious accidents in the way of loss of life. Frank is certainly unlucky.

Blairmore Enterprise, May 9 1912 - What might have proved a serious accident occurred to Edward Christie, on Tuesday, at Bellevue. Mr. Christie was standing on a ladder, working on the side of a house he was building, when a whirlwind from the opposite direction lifted the house and carried it towards him. He

was thrown back against a barbed wire fence but escaped injuries. The building moved nearly four feet.

Blairmore Enterprise, Nov 22 1912 - The high wind of Sunday played havoc with property in town and hardly a building on Main Street escaped without some damage. In some parts of the town buildings were upturned and in one case a two-flat shed about 8x20 was lifted bodily and lodged on its side about twenty-five feet away and on an elevation two feet above its original position. Had not another building obstructed its course, in all likelihood the Buzzaks of Burmis would have had to solve the mystery of how the building was conveyed to that town.

Blairmore Enterprise, June 26 1914 - A severe wind storm visited this burg on Monday last, and in its course took off the roof of the Union hotel, which at that time was standing near the C.P.R. track on its way to its new site. During the flight the telegraph wires of the C.P.R. and the town electric wires were broken, and the roof was taken clean off the waiting room of the station.

Several electric poles were blown down and nearly all phones in town were temporarily incommissioned.

Blairmore Enterprise, Oct 5 1917 - Considerable damage was done by the high winds of Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. The tower of the [Frank] fire hall was blown over and poles and transformers of the Company light power line were blown to the ground, and as a consequence the mine was idle on Wednesday.

Blairmore Enterprise, May 3 1918 - The old Catholic church in Frank was blown down by the high wind tonight. No blame is attached to German agents.

Blairmore Enterprise, Jan 3 1920 - In the height of a windstorm the other day,

a freight car standing on a siding near Hillcrest was blown from its trucks, while another nearby was bereft of its roof.

Blairmore Enterprise Dec 6 1923 - The heavy windstorm of Tuesday did considerable damage to buildings at Frank and Bellevue, as well as putting the telephone and electric light lines somewhat out of commission. At Bellevue fences were lifted out of frozen ground and thrown up against buildings and large numbers of windows were bereft of their glass.

Some residents of Frank were obliged to leave their homes and seek shelter in the more substantial structures. Autos suffered considerably, many losing their tops. At Hillcrest, a building that was being moved to a new location was taken by a gust of wind and carried too far, and an onlooker asked the contractor if “his bus would likely stop at Passburg?”

Blairmore Enterprise, Feb 22 1923 - “Why, man, what are you talking about? We have the wind so bad at Bellevue at times that it blows the roof off the picture theatre. Ask Bill Cole. Whew.” “That’s nothing. Now, look here.

We have had it so bad in Hillcrest that it once blew a ten-dollar bill out of a Scotchman’s hand.”

Blairmore Enterprise, Nov 16 1933 - Considerable of the lumber placed on the ground near the east side of the Slide, for the new camp to be erected there, was reduced to matchwood by a wind of cyclonic proportions that hit the spot on Friday evening last. Boards and sidewalls were carried for hundreds of yards, some a distance of a quarter of a mile. The same gust of wind lifted a garage from its foundation near Maple Leaf, lodging it against the roof of a nearby house.

Blairmore Enterprise, June 6 1935 - People of Frank desire through The Enterprise to sincerely

thank the Town of Blairmore for a very generous supply of garden dirt wafted to them from Blairmore’s parks, etc., on Friday last by a west wind.

They state that they would rather the Coleman soil as it is such a different color.

Blairmore Enterprise, Aug 1 1935 - The wind was so strong in the Gap on Sunday that a four-pound rainbow trout was blown out of an eight-inch frypan.

Blairmore Enterprise, Oct 20 1939 - Last Saturday a terrific wind blew the roof off of G.E. Cruickshank’s garage. The wind whipped the roof onto the top of Mr. Emery’s house with great damage. Then parts of the Emery house speeded on and just missed the top of J. Mackie’s house, but carrying away the chimney, which protruded above the roof line. Several radio poles and windows were broken and the town was in darkness for several hours, as mine employees strove to repair broken electricity lines.

Coleman Journal, Dec 11 1957 - Hurricane force winds with gusts up to 100 miles an hour hit the Pass on Sunday causing heavy damage. Bellevue suffered the most damage with roofs blown off, windows broken, power lines knocked down and chimneys toppled. Power lines broken down caused a complete blackout of the Pass for over 25 minutes.

Mr. Joe Shevels of Bellevue was lifted by the wind and carried across the highway, he suffered a broken jaw.

In Coleman roof shingles were blown off, power lines and telephone wires were broken causing the town to be cut off from outside communication.

The large smoke stack at the international mine is leaning at a 45 degree angle. Windows were cracked by flying rocks.

Many old timers stated that they had seen heavy winds but none as strong or as damaging as on Sunday evening.

Kyle Wilkinson photo

A semi blow over on Hwy 3 after 181 km winds were clocked on December 29, 2018

Wednesday, January 9, 2019 - Crowsnest PAss herALD - 3

In the LIne of fIre Between December 17 and January 1, Crowsnest Pass RCMP responded to a total of 103 calls for service including the following reported incidents.

Six (6) assaults, three (3) break and enter (residential), two (2) mischief (vandalism), two (2), theft of motor vehicle, 5 (five) thefts, four (4) impaired driving, 1 (one) disturbing the peace, one (1) other criminal code, nine (9) other provincial statues, fifteen (15) driving complaints, fourteen (14) motor vehicle collisions, seventeen (17) assistance to general public, nine (9) suspicious occurrences, three (3) lost and found, three (3) assistance to other agencies, four (4) 911 calls (invalid), one (1) false alarm, four (4) municipal bylaws.

Wallet theft On December 19, 2018, a Fernie resident reported a lost wallet somewhere in Blairmore. The incident occurred sometime over the weekend.

Bar fight On December 20, 2018, police came upon a fight outside a bar in Blairmore. A 29 year-old male was arrested and charged with assault and released on documents for Pincher Creek court.

Erractic driving On December 21, 2018, at approximately 4:30 p.m., police received a complaint regarding an erratic driver in Blairmore. The vehicle was located and a 58 year-old driver provided samples of breath which were over the legal limit. The man was arrested and charged with impaired care and control. He was released on documents for Pincher Creek court.

Traffic stop On December 29, 2018, at approximately 2:20 a.m., a vehicle was stopped at a traffic stop in Blairmore. The driver showed signs of impairment. A 40 year-old male provided samples of breath over the legal limit. He was arrested and charged with impaired driving. He was released on documents for Pincher Creek Court.

Lost roof rack On December 29, 2018, a Red Deer resident reported a lost roof rack with four pairs of skis and a pair of skates somewhere on Highway 22 between Nanton and Lundbreck.

Traffic stop On December 30, 2018, at approximately 2:20 a.m., a vehicle was detained at a traffic stop.

~ rCMP news ~

The driver showed signs of impairment. A 19 yearold female provided two samples of breath over the legal limit and was arrested and charged with impaired driving. The woman was released on documents for Pincher Creek Court.

Theft of wallet On December 31, 2018, police received a complaint of theft of a wallet from 1997 GMC van parked at a gas station in Coleman. The incident ccurred sometime during the day Traffic stop On January 1, 2019, at approximately 3:00 a.m., a vehicle was stopped when the driver showed signs of impairment. A 44 year-old male was arrested and charged with impaired driving. He was released on documents for Pincher Creek Court.

Court News On December 10, 2018, in Lethbridge Court, a 35 year-old male from Lethbridge was sentenced to 21 days in gaol for theft from a gas station in Lundbreck.

On December 17, in Lethbridge Court, a 23 year-old male from Lethbridge received two years gaol for robbery at a gas station in Blairmore. The

incident occurred on December 4th.

Crime mapping Crime mapping is available online to residents who are interested in viewing property crimes that occurred within the past two weeks in our area. For more information on crime mapping, see the October 3 issue of the Pass Herald.

Found property found iphone/camera in Blairmore found bikes turned into Municipal Bylaw Scams Reminder to residents of computer scams, credit cards scams, Grandparent scams, Revenue Canada scams asking for money or cash cards and saying warrants out for arrest. Do not give out personal information to persons you don't know. Do not open emails if you are suspicious of their origin.

Anyone with information regarding any crime is urged to contact the Crowsnest Pass RCMP Detachment at 403-562-2867, or Crimestoppers to remain anonymous at 1-800-422TIPS.

Crowsnest Pass Community Library ~ A Year in Review ~

Michael J. leeb Feature Writer

The past year of 2018 witnessed many new developments at the Crowsnest Community Library. Several new programs were initiated such as “escape rooms” events that the Amazing Teen Race participants took part in that require the solving of puzzles as a challenge or requirement to leave or escape from a room; and board games held at the library that are also available for library loan. There were also several new capital investments at the library with the purchase of 3 new computers to replace older aging computers, and a new projector.

New linoleum was installed in the main level bathrooms; new toilets for the washrooms in the basement; and a new water fountain (drinking station) on the main level.

These capital improvements were made possible since the Library was under-budget for 2018.

The Library was also able

to purchase new tables and chairs for the common area in the lower level made possible with a grant from the Community Foundation of Lethbridge & Southwestern Alberta ($1000) and a donation of $500 from the local nonprofit, Friends of the Library. The Board of the Crowsnest Community Library also completed a new Plan of Service that will take effect for the 2019-2024 term.

Looking ahead to this year of 2019, the Library hopes to replace the carpeting both upstairs and on the lower level with a new capital investment grant from the Crowsnest Municipality in the sum of $22, 000. 2019 is the first year that the municipality has provided the Library with a capital grant in addition to the grant for operating expenses ($125, 000).

The operating budget will remain the same for 2019 as it was in 2018. With this new capital investment the Library will be able to renovate

and improve the Library building with much needed renovations. It should be noted that the Monday closure at the Library implemented in February of 2018 has reduced the Library’s hours of opening by approximately 9 hours per week on average. These reduced hours will remain in effect for the 2019 budget year.

Librarian Diane DeLauw also noted that the Library will apply again this year for a Canada Summer Jobs grant, and that this program has recently been modified by the federal government.

New eligibility requirements will allow anyone from the age of 15-30 years of age to apply for summer employment, and is therefore no longer restricted to only student employment.

The attestation agreement has also been changed for 2019, with some previously controversial provisions regarding reproductive rights being eliminated.

The following are

some interesting statistics for 2017-2018: Library Membership has increased from 1803 (2017) to 2164 (2018) Library hours decreased from 2578 (2017) to 2261 (2018) Daily Walk-in clients decreased slightly from 19,150 (2017) to 18,616 (2018) Computer sessions also decreased marginally from 3483 (2017) to 2890 (2018) Computer hours were also somewhat lower from 7405 (2017) to 6355 (2018)The lower numbers for walk-ins, and the usage of the public computers at the library are most likely due to the fewer hours of opening.

For more information, members of the public are encouraged and invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Municipality of the Crowsnest Pass Library Board that will be held on Tuesday January 22nd 2019 at 1:30 p.m. at the Crowsnest Community Library auditorium.

DiD you know?

The first letters of the months July through to November spell JASON.

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recipe corner Breakfast Bread Pudding With Pecan Crumble For the bread pudding: 1⁄2 tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing 1 pound brioche bread, cut into 3⁄4-inch cubes 8 eggs 2 cups milk 1⁄2 cup heavy cream 1⁄2 cup sugar 1⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons good bourbon Pinch of fine grain sea salt 1⁄2 cup chopped pecans, toasted For the crumbled topping: 1⁄2 cup flour 1⁄2 cup pecan pieces 1⁄2 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1⁄4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp.

Sliced persimmons, for serving (optional) Maple syrup, for serving (optional) Lightly butter a 9 x 13 baking dish, then place cubes of brioche in the baking dish in an even layer.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugars, vanilla, bourbon, and a pinch of sea salt. Sprinkle toasted pecans over the brioche, then pour the wet ingredient mixture evenly all over the bread, making sure it’s covered thoroughly.

Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or up to overnight).

To bake the bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 350 F and remove the baking dish from fridge.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble: Add flour, pecans, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter to a medium bowl, and using your fingertips, rub ingredients together until evenly combined and clumps start to form. Sprinkle the surface of the bread evenly with the crumbs. Bake until the bread pudding is puffy and the top is golden, about 45 minutes to an hour.

To serve, cut squares of warm bread pudding, and place on small plates. Top with sliced persimmons and maple syrup, if desired.

4 – Crowsnest PAss HerALD – wednesday, January 9, 2019

Editorial and Opinions We need induStry!

It’s a new year and I have a new perspective on things that happen within our community.

I want to be clear here - I am writing this as a business person who has the interesting perspective of being a councillor. So in essence, I have a unique idea of what it costs to run this community and how poor we really are here.

Before running for council, I had no clue how this place was funded. I knew that we have very little industry and I knew that residents pay the majority of our taxes. What I didn’t know is how hard it is to run a community without a direct source of commercial income.

This community runs an $18 million budget.

That may seem like a big number, but this is money that needs to be doled out for infrastructure, sewage, road maintenance, staff, recreation facilities and non-profit funding. It’s a really small amount when you consider the fact that we have to take care of the infrastructure of five amalgamated towns.

Council agreed to only have a 2.5 per cent increase in taxes this year but to get there, we had to cut over $80,000 on the final day of buget deliberations from what administration recommended if we were able to fulfill all the expenditures that we prioritized as requiring funding. We were given 46 new initiatives by administration and were able to keep 33 of them for a 2.5% increase in taxes or approximately $4.00 a month on a $300,000 assessment over a 12 month period It’s a sad day when you spend 5- to 8-hour days of your life trying to figure out how many feet of sidewalks you can’t pave and how many potholes you can’t fill in order to help fund your community.

This made it so evident to me why we need industry in this community. Actually, why it’s imperative we figure out how to draw it here.

When Riversdale Resources came to council it shocked me to hear members of the audience say it will not bring economic growth to the area.

One just has to look to the west at Fernie, Sparwood and Elkford to see the impact industry has on their tax base. Riversdale isn’t going to open up a ‘pop-up shop’ mine. They are going through all the regulations related to the environment, water, fish, etc. at all levels of government, both provincially and federally. Let’s be honest - we have a Liberal federal government and an NDP provincial government that really do not like mining. Riversdale is under a microscope when comes to every aspect of its operations, both now and in the future.

I truly believe both governments are looking for reasons to turn it down. So to think that this mine will come in and pollute our rivers and wreck our air quality with no restrictions is ridiculous, even laughable. They will be held to the highest standards ever seen, based on the governments in power. If Riversdale does come to fruition, with both these governments in power, I consider it a miracle.

So bring it on, Riversdale! I sure hope you open your doors, or mine seam. Hire people and put money into this community, because then people will have money to spend and businesses will open to meet these needs. It’s certainly not easy to be a small business in our community right now and we need all the help we can get.

Just the way I see it.

LS

~ Community Update~

Crowsnest Pass Music Festival update Herald Contributor

The Crowsnest Pass Music Festival Committee would like to welcome everyone to the 2019 Festival, running March 1115, 2019, followed by the Grand Concert on March 22, 2019.

The Crowsnest Pass Music Festival is one of the longest running festivals in Alberta and offers students a chance to perform in front of a live audience and to receive valuable feedback from qualified adjudicators to help direct their studies.

Festival week is also a wonderful opportunity for community members to hear fine performances of a wide range of music and to support students in their musical pursuits.

To adjudicate Vocals, Musical Theatre and Piano Classes this year, we are pleased to welcome back to the Crowsnest Pass, Ms. Louise Costigan-Kerns.

Louise Costigan-Kerns has performed internationally as a concert pianist, accompanist and conductor. Her concerts have been reviewed as “inspiring and technically amazing performances”.

Ms. Costigan-Kerns began studying piano at age two and a half with her mother, Beatrice Costigan, in Blairmore, Alberta. At age five she gave her first

public recital and began competing in Alberta Music Festivals, where she was a consistent winner through high school.

After earning her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees, Pi Kappa Lambda, from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, she taught on the piano faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School and was the Founding Director of the New England Conservatory Extension Division Opera Studio. In the San Francisco Bay area, Ms. Costigan-Kerns has worked for Opera San Jose, Stanford University and the San Francisco Symphony. She is active as a recital pianist, opera coach and accompanist for singers and instrumentalists.

We welcome Lethbridge, Alberta native, Mr. Gabriel Kastelic to adjudicate our strings classes.

Mr. Kastelic began his music studies with Norbert Boehm at an early age. As he grew older, Gabriel became very active in the Lethbridge strings community, playing in the Lethbridge Youth Strings Association orchestra program, the University of Lethbridge Conservatory Orchestra and the Coulee Fiddlers.

At the age of 12, Gabriel

joined the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra and remained a member of the orchestra for 5 seasons.

Gabriel began studying at Mount Royal University where he completed both their Diploma Program in Music Performance as well as the acclaimed Advanced Performance Program offered by the Mount Royal Conservatory. Following this, Gabriel moved to Montreal where he completed another degree in music performance at McGill University. Throughout the course of his career, Gabriel has performed and competed in many music festivals, culminating in winning first place in the chamber music category of the Canadian National Music Festival with his ensemble, the MRU String Trio. Along with performance, Gabriel’s greatest passion in music is teaching. He began teaching at the age of 16 and instantly fell in love with the joy of working with students of all ages.

In 2018, Gabriel was thrilled to return to his hometown of Lethbridge to serve as the Principal Violist of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra and take on an instructor position at CASA. From Calgary, Alberta, we welcome Mr. Jay Scarba to adjudicate our

guitar classes. Jay has been a career musician since he was a teenager.

Starting on guitar at 14 it has been a lifelong passion to study the guitar and music. He studied composition and arranging with Gord Nicholson PhD, jazz guitar performance with Bobby Cairns and studied privately with studio musician and Supertramp guitarist Carl Verheyen. He lives and works in Calgary, is comfortable in a wide variety of styles and has shared the stage with artists like Colin James, Tom Cochrane and Julie Brown, to name a few. As an educator he has been teaching for 22 years as a private instructor and clinician and is pleased to be returning as an adjudicator for the festival.

We are very excited about the 2019 Crowsnest Pass Music Festival and invite all music students to enter, regardless of instrument or style of music. Although the festival is mainly for schoolage students, adults and families are also welcome and encouraged to register. For more information and to register online, please visit our website at www.cnpmusicfestival.co m.

Registration Deadline is January 25, 2019.

Letters PoLicy The Pass Herald welcomes Letters to the Editor that examine issues, but reserves the right to edit for length, libel and syntax. Writers must sign letters and include first and last names, address and telephone number. Address and telephone numbers will not be published. Only in exceptional cases will the Pass Herald withhold the name of the writer and in those cases the writer must disclose his/her name, address and telephone number to the Editor. Electronic email will be considered an electronic signature.

Letters to the Editor do not reflect the opinion of the Pass Herald. Letters cannot exceed 1,000 words. We have limited space, but we do enjoy printing every article. So please, to allow everyone to express their opinion, keep the letters short and to the point. We do have the right to refuse any letter that in our judgement may contain libel or libelous opinions. Should a litigation result from your letter, you as the writer are responsible but so is this newspaper as the publisher.

The Pass Herald is a family owned community newspaper and therefore reserves the right to refuse any advertisement that in our opinion does not follow our mandate. We cannot accept advertisements or letters criticizing or disparaging other advertisers, companies or individuals or any advertisements directed to a religion or race.

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Wednesday, January 9, 2019 - crowsnesT PAss HerALD - 5

Pass foodies find price and quality benefits at The Pantry DaviD Thomas Feature Writer

It started last spring with an attempt to roundup enough home bakers to collectively purchase organic flour in bulk. The flour initiative bogged down in the mire of distributor minimums and freight charges. But, instead of dying, the notion of cooperative buying of bulk ingredients survived.

Conferring around a kitchen table in Coleman, a small core of food enthusiasts decided to expand rather than abandon the bulk buying concept: The Pantry was born.

Organized as a simple buying club controlled by its members, The Pantry now offers 66 different baking, cooking and healthy snacking products, ranging from yogurt-dipped raisins to Nova Scotia maple syrup.

And, yes, organic white flour too.

Members, now over 100 of them, receive a monthly email detailing the current product offering. They respond with their family-size requests

which are combined into bulk orders for sourcing from The Pantry's growing contingent of suppliers.

Once the goods are received, members are convened to a time and place to collect their orders from the various bulk boxes, bags and pails. Members scoop, dip and pour their orders directly from the original packages. The Pantry's mission goes beyond the provisioning of highquality food products.

Reduction of packaging, especially single-use plastic, is a core objective.

Members bring their own jars and other containers (including re-usable plastic. Scales are provided to accurately apportion orders which are measured out by each member on the honour system.

The club is managed by "The PantryGirls," pharmacist Jasmine McCue who settled in Coleman in 2017 with husband Tony and offspring Jolie and Orson, and Jen Houze (daughter of Country Encounters catering chef Dawn Rigby).

Jennifer Hawkins

Jasmine McCue with son Orson.

"For me, it really is an environmental issue -- reducing plastic waste," says McCue. For some members, price is primordial. For others, nutritional quality is paramount. Accordingly, the product range caters to both price-motivated and quality-driven members.

Canola oil is just $1.40 per litre, for example, while white rice is $3.30 per kilogram. At the higher end in pricing are organic dried strawberries at $46.60 kg.

Perhaps the most popular offering is organic, sugar-free, chunky peanut butter at $5.75 per kilogram. Oh yes, organic

white flour is $2.60 per kilogram.

An intangible benefit, says McCue, "is getting together with likeminded people who want more for their families than over-processed, over-packaged foods."

The Pantry will operate a weekly booth at the Crowsnest Community

Market starting in June where products will be offered to all comers in bio-degrabale paper packaging, or reusable jars.

In the meantime, anyone interested in joining The Pantry should email Jasmine at pantrycooporders@gmail .com .

Municipality of Crowsnest Pass • 8502-19 Avenue, Coleman • Box 600, Crowsnest Pass, AB. ph.: 403.562.8833 • e: reception@crowsnestpass.com • www.crowsnestpass.com

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES HEALTH & SAFETY OFFICER The Municipality has an opening for a Permanent Full-Time Health and Safety Officer reporting to the Manager of Corporate Services. The Health & Safety Officer functions as a specialist advisor to municipal departments in occupational health and safety legislation and industry best practices. The Officer coordinates the development, delivery and creation of the health and safety program including the preparation of strong reports, incident investigations, hazard identifications, safe work procedures, policies and manuals.

COMMUNITY STANDARDS BYLAW Crowsnest Pass Protective Services wishes to remind the community of the requirement to comply with the Community Standards Bylaw 798, 2010, specifically to unsightly property and unregistered vehicles. Unhealthy, dangerous, potentially dangerous and unattractive premises are a detriment to surrounding properties and the community generally.

The Person or owner responsible for the land shall not allow his lands to be “Offending Premises: Excessive rubbish, discarded household or construction items, long grass, abandoned/junked vehicles, animal waste, lack of repair/maintenance of dwellings, unsafe excavations, graffiti, vehicles parked on Municipal Boulevards.”

2019 SPRING & SUMMER COMMUNITY HANDBOOK The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass is now accepting applications for our 2019 Spring & Summer Community Handbook. These handbooks are created to promote community events, activities, amenities and services which have a recreation, health, leisure, educational, municipal, sport, art or cultural theme.

The handbook will be distributed through Canada Post and will be available on-line. Copies will also be available at the Municipal Office, at the MDM Community Centre and at various locations throughout the Pass.

How to Get Involved?

For more information, please see the full job descriptions at Upon receipt of concerns, Protective Services will work To have your facility events (i.e. community or fundraising http://www.crowsnestpass.com/living-here/employment-op- with the residents to educate, continue towards compli- event), or organization contact information included in portunities-page/employment the Community Handbook, please complete and submit ance and ensure that the bylaw is being complied with. the Spring & Summer Community Handbook Application Please apply with a resume and cover letter via email out- A Peace Officer, may enter in or upon an Owner’s land or Forms available on our website at lining how you meet the qualifications of the position before structure, in accordance with the Municipal Government https://www.crowsnestpass.com/playing-here/recreThursday, January 10 at 4:00pm to: Act, to carry out an inspection, enforcement or other action ation/crowsnest-pass-community-guides or at either the Municipal Office or the Community Services Department required or authorized by this Bylaw. in the MDM Community Centre.

Kristin Ivey, Manager of Corporate Services kristin.ivey@crowsnestpass.com If the property is found to be in violation of this bylaw the Please submit your application to owner will be charged $50.00 for the inspection. Should communityguide@crowsnestpass.com compliance not be reached the first offence fine under the Crowsnest Pass Fire/Rescue is looking for paid on-call vol- bylaw is $250.00 and may result in further fines/costs to unteers to join their team. We train every Wednesday night have the property brought into compliance. and average between 150 and 200 calls per year. Trained Protective Services. Ensuring Crowsnest Pass is safe for all rescuers will be involved in such emergencies as auto extriresidents for work rest and play. cation, back-country rescues, and fires.

FIRE FIGHTER RECRUITMENT

No experience is necessary, training is provided.

If you are interested or would like more information, please call 403-562-8600 or stop by the Blairmore Fire Hall at 2141 - 127 Street. Online applications are also available at www.crowsnestpass.com

PASS POWDERKEG

View the complete bylaw at https://www.crowsnestpass .com/municipalgovernment/council /bylaws-listed-alphabetically

Join the Riversdale Rippers Après School program 5-week session for $125.00 + GST Purchase tickets and register for programs at www.passpowderkeg.com

6 – crowsnest PAss HerALD – Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Update on the Gushul studio Building improvements change interior and exterior of the famed community building Michael J. leeb Feature writer In the summer of 2018 several renovations and building improvements were made to the Gushul Studio and Writer’s Cottage. This included a new coat of dark brown wood stain to the exterior of both buildings; new metal downspouts that are retractable on either side of the Studio’s wall glass; and a fresh coat of white paint to the picket fence. These renovations were made by maintenance staff of the University of Lethbridge. Within the interior of the Studio, the hardwood floors were stripped of their golden oak-coloured stain to reveal their natural wood grain that was then coated with a clear varnish. The effect of this is that the floors brighten the interior ambience and natural light that filters through the abundant wall glass, even on overcast days creating a space that is vibrant and bright.

Other exterior alterations by a local carpenter (Gary Carpenter) included the installation of new doors to the Writer’s Cottage in the Spring of 2013, and since then a white storm door has been added to the portal of the Studio on the north side of the building.

Of further note, it should be mentioned that condensation and some water seepage had previously been a problem when I had been in residence in the Studio in November of 2012.

These building improvements have been significant in the refurbishment of the exterior of both buildings. It could however be debated whether the downspouts have to some extent altered the heritage character of the Studio, however these spouts are along the existing window frames and rather seamlessly coexist with these frames. The downspouts are most apparent at the bottom where these spouts extend from the building to the adjacent lawn when lowered. Functionality seems to have been preferred to aesthetics in this regard, and architecture at its’ best usually dictates that form follows function. Practical utilitarianism has triumphed over aesthetics here, fortunately without any serious or lasting consequences.

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SubScriptionS The majority of our subscriptions are due January 1, 2019.

Check the label on the top left corner of the Pass Herald to see when you are due.

cNP & area - $40/year • Seniors $35/year Outside of 40 KM radius - $60/year • Out of country - $85/year NAME:____________________________________________ ADDRESS:_________________________________________ __________________________________________________ PHONE:___________________________________________ PAYMENT AMOUNT: $_______________________________ PAYMENT:

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Michael J. Leeb photo

Top photo, the exterior of the Gushul studio, one of the landmarks in the history of the Crowsnest Pass.

Bottom photo, the inside of the studio where natural light makes the perfect canvas for visiting artists.

Wednesday, January 9, 2019 - CRowsnest PAss HeRALD - 7

Crowsnest Pass steam locomotives face uncertain future DaviD Thomas Feature Writer

Both of the steam locomotives familiar to Crowsnest Pass residents - one full-size and the other a miniature -- face uncertain futures.

The former Western Canadian Collieries #1 Mogul-type locomotive on display opposite Blairmore post office continues to deteriorate as both the municipality and the property owner reject ownership -- and consequent responsibility for

the asbestos spilling from its rusted cavities.

Steam locomotive boilers were blanketed in loose asbestos to keep their water hot. The asbestos was meant to be contained under a layer of steel jacketing. Years of exposure to weather has breached #1's jacketing in several locations and, according to Alberta health and safety inspectors, the locomotive is now a public health hazard.

Removal of the asbestos, or even disman-

tling of the locomotive for scrap, will be costly as it will require complete sealing of the worksite from wind and water and removal of the asbestos by qualified professionals.

Due to the casual way of doing things 50 years ago, there is no paper record of any ownership transfer from the coal company to the municipality, which did move the locomotive from mine to municipal property. Late public works superintendant John Gibos recalled

having the engine towed by a town vehicle to its current site, which was then municipal property.

Subsequently, the property was sold to a consortium of owners led

by Fred Bradley. Whether the municipality ever acquired ownership of the locomotive, and whether such ownership passed to the new property owners, is subject to dispute. Both the municipality and the land owners refuse to acknowledge any ownership or responsibility for

the derelict machine.

At the other end of the size spectrum, the miniature, coal-fired steam locomotive owned and operated by Nippon Institute of Technology has lost its loop of track at Blairmore Historical Railway Park adjacent to the school. NIT recently handed its interest in the park, its track and structures to the municipality.

The locomotive, meanwhile, is stored indoors in perfect operating condition and remains the

property of NIT. Mayor Bert Painter says there is community interest in reviving a minature railway operation, perhaps at a new and more spacious location.

That may figure into a new land use plan for the Blairmore railway lands.

The municipality is negotiating a potential land transfer with Canadian Pacific which retains a legal but long-forgotten 50-foot right-of-way on either side of the tracks through Crowsnest Pass.

Risk in Alberta's ardor for oil trains falls on trackside communities DaviD Thomas Feature Writer

Aside from adding billions to taxpayer debt, Alberta's intended deployment of 7000 tank cars and 80 locomotives means a corresponding rise in the risk of devastating oil train explosions.

Crowsnest Pass is already a major oil train route. Should Premier Rachel Notley succeed in her quest to attract new Pacific Rim buyers of Alberta crude, some of the intended four new trains each day will choose the Crowsnest Route to the U.S. West Coast.

Just how many additional crude oil trains we will see depends on demand around the Pacific Rim for Alberta's conventional crude and, perhaps eventually, bitumen mined from the province's northern tar sands.

Notley, once a campaigner against the tar sands, has become an aggressive proponent of what she concedes is the most dangerous way to transport crude, even to taunting environmentalists for their opposition to safer pipelines. As she watches the provincial finances swoon because of their disproportionate dependency on oil royalties, she calculates the added risk to trackside communities is an acceptable cost of funding government, without having to offending Albertans' aversion to levels of taxation considered normal in other jurisdictions.

Crowsnest Pass is astride a designated "key route" for highly explosive crude oil trains, originating in the Baaken formation of North Dakota, and crossing back into the U.S. at Eastport, Idaho. Despite improvements to tank cars, track and operating procedures, crude oil trains

remain a high-risk, highhazard threat to the communities they pass through. The new tank cars, for example, are designed to withstand 15mph impacts, not derailments at the 40 mph speed permitted through populated areas.

And the crude oil cargo itself remains as dangerous as it ever was.

The 2015 derailment of a crude oil train in Frank Slide showed that Canadian Pacific's Crowsnest Subdivision is not immune from the sort of track failures that caused most of the crude oil catastrophes that started in 2013, with the derailment and explosions that incinerated 47 people at Lac-MĂŠgantic, Quebec. Last week's derailment of two CP trains in Banff and Jasper parks shows that mountain railroading is especially accident-prone because of sharp curves and stiff grades.

Local fire and rescue services are necessarily the first responders to rail accidents. Fortunately, CNP Fire and Rescue Chief Jesse Fox is exceptionally well-qualified to prepare for, and respond to, mishaps involving flammable and explosive commodities.

More on Fox Local first responders and hospital personnel can indeed train to manage the consequences of minor spills and evacuations -- as long as there are no explosions. But should crude oil cargo ignite amid the punctures and sparks of a derailment, rescuers are essentially powerless to assist the immediate victims. At Lac-Megantic, medical staff rushed to the hospital to handle the injured, but nobody sought emergency care: every one of the victims was vapor-

ized within the first moments of the derailment.

The explosive crude that destroyed downtown Lac-Megantic is the same stuff, from the same place, that regularly transits Crowsnest Pass. In the face of oil industry resistance, U.S. and Canadian governments chose not to require that explosive gases be removed from North Dakota crude before transportation -- a simple process that is standard in the Texas oilfields. That's why trains of high-grade crude from Texas to a Quebec City refinery are much safer than the ones from North Dakota that transit Crowsnest Pass.

Contrary to a comforting myth, bitumen trains are not any safer.

True, tar sands bitumen will barely burn in its natural state; but once diluted with volatile petrochemicals for transportation, Alberta bitumen becomes highly explosive. Without thinning with naptha or other liquid petroleum gases, the viscous bitumen simply will not flow into or out of railway tank cars (or pipelines, for that matter).

The cartoonish name for the mixture is "dilbit".

But there is nothing funny about it. During its multi-day, cross-country journey through towns and cities, the diluent escapes the bitumen as a volatile gas, accumulating under pressure in the head space between the load and the tank car top.

That, according to research, makes a tank car loaded with dilbit every bit as explosive as one carrying pure naptha. Socalled synthetic crude is no better: It is spiked with hydrogen to raise its energy content.

Two Canadian Nation bitumen trains exploded within days of

David Thomas photo

each other in northern Ontario in 2015 -- both upon derailments attributed to poorly maintained track. One of the derailments fouled a small river with dilbit.

Unlike ordinary crude that will eventually disperse, bitumen sinks to the bottom, toxifying the water for years. (It took Enbridge four years to dredge congealed bitumen from Michigan's Kalamazoo River after a pipeline rupture in 2010).

A major dilbit release into the Crowsnest River or Lake would likely destroy the trout fishery and affect riparian life for decades. Canadian Pacific is not to blame: railways are required by law to haul any hazardous material as long as it is packaged in governmentapproved containers.

A deal with Union Pacific to relay UP oil trains through southern Alberta and British Columbia did lead CP to upgrade its Crowsnest Subdivision trackage, but derailments are a fact of railway life. In June 2016, a 96-car oil train originating in North Dakota derailed and exploded at Mosier, Oregon. That same train had rolled through Crowsnest Pass a few days earlier.

Railroads are a re-

markable survivor of preVictorian industrialization, but they were never meant to move explosive goods. After two centuries of improvements, derailments remain a regular and expected feature of steel wheels running over steel rails.

There is one new technology that promises to make bitumen transportation safe and cheap.

Canadian National Railway has developed a way to package bitumen into puck-sized pellets. Such pellets (CN calls them CanaPux) do not require diluents, and can be safely transported in open hopper cars just like coal.

In the event of a spill into a waterway, the pellets would float, and could be efficiently skimmed from the surface.

CN says it will build, with oil industry partners, a $50 million pilot plant this year to prove the concept commercially.

CN also says it has an Asian buyer lined up to receive the pucks, strip off the plastic coating, and refine the bitumen into petroleum products.

China National Offshore Oil Corp already owns oilsands producer Nexen, and Canada is aggressively courting additional Chinese oilsands investment to offset the recent

exodus of the front-rank, international oil companies.

If the pilot project succeeds, CN will build a full-scale commercial plant able to convert 50,000 barrels per day of bitumen into CanaPux. Securing social licence for a CanaPux bulk ocean terminal would be far easier than for a dilbit dock. The consequences of an ocean spill would be manageable. If CN is right, bitumen transportation will be revolutionized, avoiding the need, cost and risks of either pipelines or tanker trains.

If financial reason is not enough, in the interest of public safety, Alberta might best shelf its dubious tank train purchase and accelerate commercialization of CN's next step in bitumen transporation.

David Thomas has been a contributing editor to the industry magazine Railway Age since the Lac-Megantic event in 2013 and has led the magazine's coverage of crude oil transportation and government regulation. He has lived in Blairmore since 2008, after a career in mainstream media including The Canadian Press, The Gazette, Maclean's and National Geographic.

8 – CrowsnesT Pass HeraLD – Wednesday, January 9, 2019

John Pundyk.CoM

Friends and Neighbours

by Jocelyn Thomas

403

Jocelyn Thomas is an artist and writer who lives in Blairmore

Siegbert and Rose Gail “My journey from Germany to the Pass began when I was just 6 1/2 years old. My mom and I travelled by ship and train to Hillcrest. I was blessed with a good stepdad, who worked hard in tough times – a man who taught me the importance of humility.” He also has a half-brother.

Wife Rose expands on his personality, saying: “If he can put a smile on a person's face during the day, than it is a good day for him. He is profoundly a people person, and would not only be the first to help anyone who needed it, but would do as much as he could, as well.”

His friends concur.

Siegbert met “the love of his life”, Rose, at age 21, and they are now professional musical entertainers at lodges, community events, and on occasion, in church. They were blessed with two boys and a girl. However, they lost the middle child, Jordan less than 3 years ago. Says Siegbert: “If it were not for our belief in God, we would not have endured; but our religious faith has given us an amazing peace of mind.” Jordan left behind a wife and three little girls. The couple also have four more grandkids from the other two children.

Siegbert is a retiree after working 35 years in the strip mines. Besides being adept at carpentry, he is virtually a jack of all trades, and loves to fix anything and everything, while making them all better than before. Originally, he had dreamed of becoming an electrician and managed to learn enough to safely and completely wire the couple's own house, which the two built themselves.

In school, Seigbert loved gym and especially badminton, basketball and volleyball. The couple have played badminton competitively and have now switched to a less stressful pickleball.

Siegbert loves motorcycling and loves all types of music – contemporary, country, pop and rock. He even likes opera, but only doesn't like rap. He is a huge Beatles fan.

Siegbert himself has penned some 16 songs, sometimes to help commemorate an important event in a friend's life. He plays guitar, mouth organ, bass, mandolin, and sings. Wife Rose plays the piano, guitar, and sings.

The secret to the couple's happy marriage has been to live life to the fullest by doing almost everything together.

They have helped out in the Boy Scouts, and coached soccer and badminton. The two have also done their share of camping and motorcycling together. They have visited 14 countries, (including a few times to Germany for Siegbert), and would like to travel in the future to Israel. Rose found it to be “profoundly touching” to be there the first time. Incidentally, Siegbert recalls that the Dead Sea is the only place in which he has ever been where your foot does not sink into the blue.

Seigbert most admires Gandhi, and were he to become King of the world for a day, he would ensure that all people were more loving towards each other, with the culture of finance and money matters taking a distant second place, globally Finally, Siegbert says that it was an interesting part of his life being on council. He found it to be “a good experience learning so much about politics and about the community.” He had been elected to one of six seats, competing with 18 other applicants.

Thunder Hockey update Atoms team This weekend the Atom team played two home games. Their first game was against Siksika on Saturday. Tristen Kriger led the team with eight goals and one assist. Jaden Farraj and JJ Macgregor scored hat tricks. Caine Jorgensen scored a goal. Ashton Winberg helped out with three assists. Shae Snow made three assists. Cierra Wemp assisted a goal in the second period. Gavin Samuel played his first game with the Atom team and contributed two assists. Final score was 16 - 2 for the Atoms.

The second game of the weekend on Sunday was against Nanton. Dakota Gibboney-Stafford scored in the first period assisted by JJ Macgregor. The second goal in the first period was scored by Tristen Kriger. JJ Macgregor scored our third goal of the game, assisted

by Axel Safranka. Caine Jorgensen scored the next two goals. Tristen Kriger scored the sixth goal, assisted by Gavin Samuel. The Atoms played a good game but were defeated 13-6.

The Atoms next game is Saturday, January 13th in Pincher Creek. Puck drops at 12:30 pm.

Royal LePage South Country Real Estate Services Ltd. 60 ironstone driVe End unit, semi-detached luxury bungalow. Superior quality materials and detailed craftmanship throughout. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms.

Vaulted ceilings with spacious and open living areas. Two gas fireplaces. Nice south-facing deck off the kitchen.

Large, attached double car garage and plenty of parking. $385,000 CALL JOHN MLS

562-8830 jpundyk@shaw.ca coleman Large corner lot with two driveways and plenty of parking. Extensively upgraded 2 + 1 bedroom bungalow.

Heated attached 24’ x 32’ garage with two 8’ x 9’ automatic doors. and a second single car shop for storage. $249,000 CALL JOHN MLS

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blairmore Very nice condo apartment in a historic building in a central location. This unit has been expertly updated for the comforts of modern living. An affordable option whether as a home or an investment. Parking at rear. Ski hill, swimming pool and other amenities within walking distance. $99,000 CALL JOHN MLS

fantastic price If you are looking for 3 acres of affordable land for a modular home, this Bellevue acreage may be right for you. Flat with several building sites. Well on the property. Power and gas nearby. An excellent opportunity for a well-priced piece of mountain property. Lots of sun.

Great place for a net-zero home. $144,900 GST CALL JOHN MLS

Spacious four bedroom, four bathroom luxury townhome at Ironstone Lookout. This brand-new home will not disappoint. Very bright and open plan design with beautiful woodwork and cabinetry. Large windows take advantage of stunning mountain views. Many details, including a spacious main floor laundry room. Large garage with double car drive. Ironstone is unique in its design, with wide streets and plenty of parking. Incredible price-point for luxury mountain living. $359,000 + GST CALL JOHN MLS

coleman acreage Magnificent views from this spacious ranch style home on 3 acres.

Beautiful living areas, large rooms, lovely master suite with ensuite and walk-in closet. Main floor laundry.

Fully developed side and back walk-out basement. Great and plentiful water supply. Double car garage. $574,900 CALL JOHN MLS

passburg acreage

coleman Expertly renovated and upgraded spacious side-split bungalow. Upgrades include windows, siding, doors, flooring, roof and more. Large family room on the lower level has an extra space for overnight visitors. Beautiful bathroom and kitchen. Large deck.

Extra large lot with plenty of room for additional development. $209,000 CALL JOHN MLS

coleman Excellent location with a private back yard. This two-bedroom home has two bathrooms, which is unusual for this vintage and size. Solid concrete basement. Newer boiler and hot water tank.

Lots of sun and adequate parking. Ideal location for a mountain get-away or a first home. $159,900 CALL JOHN MLS

belleVue

Private and scenic three acres in the Canadian Rockies of the Crowsnest Pass. This is a developed piece of land with access, electricity and an energized water well. Crowsnest Pass offers a unique opportunity to own mountain property at a great price, as well as, many opportunities for summer or winter activities. Very affordable. $169,000 CALL JOHN

blairmore Spacious family home in central Blairmore location. Close to shopping, medical services, swimming pool. Four bedrooms, large and bright family room. Big Backyard with room for a large garage. Perfect for family to grow and enjoy. $234,000. CALL JOHN MLS

blairmore commercial Well maintained commercial building in one of the best locations in Crowsnest Pass on main street Blairmore. Large 3 bedroom apartment above the commercial floor. Attached garage as well as separate parking area at the back. Great mountain views. Great opportunity for anyone looking for commercial space together with a nice residence. Many updates throughout the building. $349,000 CALL JOHN MLS

Recently upgraded home in a very desirable location on Dairy Road in Bellevue, Crowsnest Pass. Large landscaped and fenced lot. Great sun exposure. Good access to back country trails. Large double car garage and ample parking. $259,900 CALL JOHN MLS

coleman

family bungalow Well maintained 3+2 bedroom raised bungalow in Coleman with south facing walkout basement. Recent windows, newer high efficiency furnace, metal roof and nice deck. Main floor laundry with sink. Mature landscaped backyard. Large corner lot with plenty of parking and ample room to build a big garage. $295,000 CALL JOHN MLS

Beautifully proportioned historic home in a nice Coleman, Crowsnest Pass location. Fantastic 100 ft. x 100 ft. mature landscape lot. 16 ft. x 24 ft. attached garage off the back lane. Large deck with beautiful mountain views. As an added benefit, the property features two titles which would enable someone to build a new house in addition to the existing home. $234,000 CALL JOHN MLS

executiVe home

pincher creek Spacious bungalow on a beautiful corner lot in a desirable location. This property offers an affordable opportunity as a first home or an investment. The house is to be sold ‘As Is’. Mature landscape, carport and plenty of parking. $159,900 CALL JOHN MLS

horse property Stunning 12.68 acres south from Pincher Creek, on the way to Waterton. Out buildings include a barn and a shop. There are corrals and a dugout. Good pasture and hay. Very good property for horses. Property to be sold “AS IS”. $285,000 CALL JOHN MLS

Beautiful 4 bedroom Linwood home in prime Blairmore location with privacy and fantastic mountain views. Triple car garage. Luxurious living areas and a friendly, open and spacious floor plan. A must see. $579,500 CALL JOHN MLS

3.5 acres highway commercial Highway 3 west-bound.

Zoned C-2 - Perfect for gas bar and convenience stop $249,000 CALL JOHN MLS

Vacant properties for all types of deVelopment. residential or commercial. economy or deluxe. contact John for details

Wednesday, January 9, 2019 - crowsnest pass HeraLD - 9

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The Simple Raven’s Post

by Avner Perl

Kids, Love and Future When life is threatened, we pull all stops and try to keep breathing.

All living and growing things are born with the same instinct, to stay alive.

If a human is not threatened, he or she becomes concerned with the quality of life and competition for a better life.

Humans until recent history were threatened simply because often more were dying than being born. We were animals fighting not to be extinct, and it took all of our energy and ingenuity simply to go on. Some thousands of years ago the first laws were written and in some areas of the world agricultural civilization began to change the odds in favour of human survival. The Ten Commandments became the ideal, and people even started to realize that when co-operation happens the whole species benefits as long as competition is present but restricted by regulations.

Most people believed that both co-operation and restrictive laws were God’s creation.

It is only in our present existence that the conflict between competition and co-operation became critical. Competition which motivated us to thrive and take over the planet now is capable of destroying all we have and know. The human population is divided into two camps that are equal in

power and friction is sparking all over the place. It is time to open our minds and study what we are facing and how long do we have before the catastrophe.

Sadly there are people who wish to spoil the party by exposing the fact that today’s enjoyments will have to be paid by tomorrows people, and I am not talking about national deficits.

A tiny fifteen-year-old Swedish girl named Greta Thunberg decided to take action. She began by skipping school and demonstrating alone on the Swedish parliament’s steps. The Media took notice and realized that she is able to rationalize and communicate very effectively. She was invited to make a speech at the U.N. plenary session COP24 where she was featured on the world stage, aside from the main corporate media in North America.

GRETA THUNBERG: My name is Greta Thunberg. I am 15 years old, and I’m from Sweden. I speak on behalf of Climate Justice Now! Many people say that Sweden is just a small country, and it doesn’t matter what we do. But I’ve learned that you are never too small to make a difference. And if a few children can get headlines all over the world just by not going to school, then imagine what we could all do together if we really wanted to.

But to do that, we have to speak clearly, no matter how uncomfortable that may be. You only speak of green eternal economic growth because you are too scared of being unpopular. You only talk about moving forward with the same bad ideas that got us into this mess, even when the only sensible thing to do is pull the emergency brake. You are not mature enough to tell it like it is. Even that burden you leave to us children.

But I don’t care about being popular. I care about climate justice and the living planet. Our civilization is being sacrificed for the opportunity of a very small number of people to continue making enormous amounts of

the

Earn while you learn

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money. Our biosphere is being sacrificed so that rich people in countries like mine can live in luxury. It is the sufferings of the many which pay for the luxuries of the few.

The year 2078, I will celebrate my 75th birthday. If I have children, maybe they will spend that day with me. Maybe they will ask me about you. Maybe they will ask why you didn’t do anything while there still was time to act. You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.

Until you start focusing on what needs to be done, rather than what is politically possible, there is no hope. We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis. We need to keep the fossil fuels in the ground, and we need to focus on equity. And if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, then maybe we should change the system itself.

We have not come here to beg world leaders to care. You have ignored us in the past, and you will ignore us again. We have run out of excuses, and we are running out of time. We have come here to let you know that change is coming, whether you like it or not. The real power belongs to the people. Thank you.

I copied the speech from DemocracyNow.org. It is true, and we are stealing the future from our children. They can’t understand why we value jobs in polluting the planet more than we value jobs in producing clean, renewable energy. They clearly see that our addiction to immediate economic prosperity is dooming them to the hell we are creating.

Every one of us that states “I don’t believe in Climate Change” is guilty of killing and dooming to misery untold numbers of unborn children mostly our own.

Happy 2019 everybody.

Here is a link to my blog: https://thesimpleravenspost.blogspot.ca/ Feel free to check other articles and comment.

7/22/11

10 – Crowsnest Pass HeraLD – Wednesday, January 9, 2019

~ OBITUARIes ~ Obituary

JEANIE DAVID ~ 1976-2018 ~

It is with great sadness and heartache that we announce the sudden passing of Jeanie Elaine David of Drumheller, Alberta, who left this world on December 18, 2018 at the tender age of 41 years. May she find peace in the paradise of our Lord.

Jeanie was born on December 26, 1976 in Drumheller, Alberta to proud parents, Frank and Marcella David. She was our little angel and brought joy and laughter into our lives. As she grew to be a lovely and graceful young lady, she was blessed with three children whom she cherished. Jeanie experienced many triumphs and successes in her lifetime and she also suffered many trials and hardships. Through all of her tribulations, Jeanie maintained a compassionate and caring nature, a zest for life and a loyalty and concern for her family and friends. She enjoyed her feline friendships, time on her computer and sharing moments with her friends. Her heart was pure gold and her love was unconditional. May she find eternal happiness and be forever fondly remembered.

She is survived by her children, Shawna-Marie Wong, Desmond Wong and Daemon Wong; her brother, Steve (Evelyn) David of Coleman; and her extended family and many friends. She was predeceased by her parents, Frank & Marcella David.

A private ceremony honouring Jeanie’s life will be held at a later date. Condolences may be registered at www.fantinsfuneralchapel.ca. Donations in memory of the late Jeanie Elaine David may be directed towards the Mustard Seed Fdn, 102-11 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0X5.

Fantin’s Funeral Chapel entrusted with the arrangements. (403)-562-8555

Obituary

WILMA (MICHALSKY) PYPLACZ ~ July 6 1926 – Dec 29 2018 ~ at age 92 years

Wilma was a woman of faith, a singer in her talented family, and with a lifelong connection to Crowsnest Mountain area. Born in Coleman, Alberta to the Michalsky family with older sister Helen and younger siblings Caara and Sonch, she moved to Cranbrook, BC after her marriage to Stanley Pyplacz and birth of first daughter Verna. Second and third daughters Bonita and Sheila were born there. Following the birth of her grandchild Chasen, she relocated to the White Rock area.

With a magnetic glow, she was always that lucky person randomly selected from the audience to be an on stage participant or winning the prize draw at an event. She was the first one to volunteer to lead a skit or volunteer for the entertainment committee. Being an avid traveler and her amazing luck winning board and card games earned her two nicknames - ‘the roamin’ Catholic’ and ‘Queen of Hearts’.

She was an avid supporter through donations, petition signature gathering, and letter writing for birthright, women’s transition homes, keeping open her historic parish church in White Rock (the Star of The Sea), macular degeneration committees, and building more palliative and hospice care options. For years she collected stamps to earn funds for the Canadian Catholic Organizations for Development and Peace supporting projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Wilma was a proud lifetime member of the Catholic Womens League (CWL), a member of the Royal Purple organization, and a prior credit union Board member.

Wilma was pre-deceased by her husband Stanley, grandchild Chasen, and sister Helen Kropinak. She is survived by her three daughters, Verna, Bonita, and Sheila and their partners and families, sister Caara and brother Sonch and their families, and broad extended family in BC and Alberta.

Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 11 am at Good Shepherd Church, 2250 150 St, Surrey, BC. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation at 604-535-4520.

Obituary

JUDY WOODWARD ~ 1944-2019 ~

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Judith Ann Woodward of Hillcrest Mines, Alberta who was called to be with the Lord on January 2, 2019 at the age of 74 years.

Judy was born on March 4, 1944 in Cardston, Alberta to parents, Francis and Ileen Bunton. She was raised with a strong respect for her community, faith and family. On the family farm, Judy raised sheep and had a wonderful childhood. She enjoyed attending church and even sang in the church choir. Judy blossomed into a beautiful and graceful young lady who captured the heart and unconditional love of an earnest young man, Joe Woodward, while working at a truck stop. They pledged their love in holy matrimony on June 16, 1962 and were further blessed with three beautiful children. Judy was grateful for the wonderful gifts in life and she was an inspiration to all those who knew her. Her determined work ethic, positive attitude, competitive nature and compassion for others served her well in obtaining her nursing position - she enjoyed her work and never missed a day. Her other passions were curling, golfing, camping, walking her dogs and most of all, she loved her family. Judy will be fondly remembered for her purpose and dedication, compassion and direct nature but most of all for her devotion and love for her family. May she find eternal rest and peace in her heavenly home.

She is survived by her husband, Joe Woodward of the Hillcrest Mines, AB; her children, Marty (Annette) Woodward of Blairmore, Tammy Woodward of Lethbridge and Cory (Jacquie) Woodward; her grandchildren, Jamie, Tyler, Jordon (Casey), Alexa (Dan) and Russel (Jessie); her great grandchildren, Greyson, Kailey, Carter, Mckenna and Ethan; her brother, Ron (Leila) Bunton; her sisters, Sharon (Eric) Forner, Shirley (Jerry) Gallant and Linda (Brian) Jones; as well as her extended family and the many friends she made throughout her life.

She was predeceased by her parents, Francis and Ileen Bunton and her sister, Wendy Bunton.

The Funeral Service celebrating Judy’s life was held on Saturday, January 5, 2019 at 1:00 pm at Fantin's Funeral Chapel (13461-20th Ave, Blairmore) with Rev. Philip Costain officiating. Donations in memory will be gratefully accepted by the Canadian Cancer Society (317- 10 Street South Lethbridge, AB T1J 9Z9). Condolences may be registered at (www.fantinsfuneralchapel.ca).

Fantin’s Funeral Chapel entrusted with the arrangements. (403)-562-8555

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12 – CROWSNEST PaSS hERald – Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Looking Back

By John Kinnear

Frozen moments in time It has been thirteen years since I started sharing thoughts and stories with the Pass Herald in the Looking Back column. Prior to that I wrote for ten years for the Fernie Free Press, doing exactly the same thing. The column was called Then and Now and allowed me to connect to and share interesting stories with the people of that amazing town called Fernie.

It is interesting to note that in my 25 years in Fernie (1980-2005) I watched that city transform itself from a struggling former mining town to an eclectic tourist hotspot that has promoted its mountain opportunities to the hilt. There are many amongst our community here in the Pass that have this same vision and have been working diligently to create and maintain a wide variety of events that they hope will strengthen and support our last-best-place offerings.

Just recently an author and publisher friend approached me with a challenge. A challenge to consider putting together in book-form a collection of my columns to the public. To publish no less! Good Grief! I am daunted by his suggestion. I welcome your input into this idea.

As I approach 2019 it is now almost 25 years since I have taken up the quill. The craft of composing my thoughts and what I felt would be interesting stories onto paper for the public. It was in fact an ink pen that I started writing with. I deliberately bought a gold-tipped fountain pen with disposable cartridges to write my first articles with in 1995. I had not, back then, embraced the concept of using a keyboard and didn’t believe you could compose your thoughts on one properly. I was old school, so to speak. I have long since abandoned those blue stained pen-fingers and steno pads for the more advanced craft I learned in a hallway at the old Coleman High School. On an ancient Remington typewriter. Middle line – asdf- jkl; Click, click, space, click.

Given the in-depth road I go down each year to create works of interest I thought it would be a good idea, once again, to step back and revisit where I have gone with my columns these past twelve months. I am often asked how I come up with the column topics that I chose and how much work it is.

These days to create a piece of 1400 words with pictures is a lot of work. The resources available to me to round out a story, keep it accurate and interesting, are remarkable. The internet was a game changer for me. When I started writing in 1995 it was off to the library to see what I could see. Yes I used the Dewey Decimal card system to search out ideas. By topic, author and subject.

Now I access databases so comprehensive and varied I am stunned at their depth and the links within them. I regularly contribute to the non-profit resource Wikipedia, a source I draw on heavily at times. More than ever I recognize that, in this age of questionable information, I need to back up and verify anything I put out to you the readers. And of course, acknowledge my sources. I also realize that most of you are quite capable of digging deeper into any given story I chose to present.

The feedback on my offerings has been interesting. It seems that when I connect with local stories and stay personal on reflections that I resonate better with most of you. At least that’s what I am hearing in aside comments at the local grocery store or wherever I encounter a reader that has connected with a piece.

Keeping it local I started off 2018 by running a four part series on the life memoirs of a Czechoslovakian immigrant by the name of Frank Wejr. Frank’s life story reflected the coming to Canada to find opportunity legacy that is such a part of Pass history. I connected with family members in British Columbia and expanded the story to show how Pass immigrants like Frank survived and thrived through the often difficult times here.

I liaised with Frank’s family members and worked hard to find images to help visually unfold this wonderful story. It was so rewarding and as I wended my way through Wejr’s life history I realized he represented the very core of what it was to be a newcomer in our new land.

I then moved on to women’s hockey and to the story of the 1923 Canadian world women’s championship team called the Swastika’s. It connected in a way to the tragic unfolding of events in Fernie From top: with their arena last year, an event they have now mercifully moved passed. It is no small irony that Frank Wejr's abandoned house - Pass Herald Oct 17, 1979 there was serious consideration given to show due diligence here with our own ice plant’s condition John Kinnear- Flight engineer on Lancaster AJ-B- age 21-Royal Air and steps taken to make it right. Painful but necessary.

Force - courtesy of dambustersblog.com I followed this with a story of the drowning of most of the islands at Kananaskis Lakes by the Sump at the bottom of Bisaro Anima that was dived to secure the construction of the Calgary Power dam in the 1930’s and 40’s. The significance of the naming of those Canadian cave depth record - courtesy Jeremy Bruns islands prior to this damming had to do with a surveyor by the name of Arthur O. Wheeler who chose to commemorate them years prior to the flooding by naming them after World War One battles. Much of the Rocky Mountain landscape in the Banff/Kananaskis area is linked to little known war generals, battles and British royalty.

Through the late winter and early spring I visited the worlds of tagging, caving and photography. The tagging issue is becoming more omnipresent here and still asks the question: “Is this appropriate or is it vandalism?” The caving story was intended to help people recognize the significance of the amazing karst topography here in the Pass. Since that article ran caver Henry Bruns has since given an in-depth talk on caving and a story connected to it has surfaced that I will chase down for you in 2019.

It involves the naming of a spectacular cave (Bisaro Anima) discovered and explored recently in the Fernie area and the World War Two soldier, Torindo John Bisaro that it was named after. I followed that caving exploration story with a look at photographing Crowsnest Mountain, that iconic klippe of upside down geology that we all live in the shadow of. One is hard pressed to not find the dome of the Crow in the background of most landscape pictures.

In late spring I did a three part series on the Kerr family that once again retraced an immigrant family’s story, this time from Scotland to here in the Pass and beyond.

Back in 1999 Jim and Florence Kerr’s property west of the Pass was donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada demonstrating their determination to preserve its natural integrity. Recently that property was bound up with eight other sections of crown land and adjacent NCC lands to become the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor. This would have made Jim smile I am sure.

Mid August I had the privilege of meeting the great grandson of the mine rescue hero of the Bellevue underground mine disaster of 1910. He came all the way from Brussels, Belgium to retrace Fred Alderson’s footsteps and to share with us never before seen memorabilia of Fred’s life. It gave further insight into the complex story that led Alderson to leave Britain and eventually die thousands of miles away underground.

For me the highlight of my summer was to attend and write about the 75th anniversary of the Dam Busters Raid. It was spectacular and a chance to meet many of the 41 family members of 617 Squadron who travelled from all across North America to be there. I bought Ted Barris’s book on the Dam Busters which he signed: “In Memory of John Kinnear- Dam Buster- never to be forgotten.” My namesake was only 21 years old when his plane AJ-B went down on its way to the Mohne Dam killing the whole crew.

In the follow-up article in September I mentioned Blairmorite and surviving Dam Buster Daniel Revie Walker and his role in the story. This fall Kirk Muspratt showed me a postcard that Daniel had sent his mother Helen way back during the war when they had dated. Talk about connecting the dots. October’s offering on the validity of white crosses on the highway seems to have resonated well and many whose stories I shared thanked me for helping put across the point- so they are not forgotten.

My Armistice column centered around a local story of family service to our country through both wars. The Harrison column goes deep into generations of family history and defines who survived and who didn’t. Following that I told the story of David L. Denning an American F-106 pilot who died in 1977 on a NORAD training mission in the Porcupine Hills. Retired Forest Ranger Al Gehman shared with me this interesting fact in a phone call after it ran. He said that an officer with Malstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls told him at the crash site that Denning’s jet had rolled over just before the crash.

Given he probably clipped some trees just before crashing that is entirely possible. On reflection that may mean that ejection would have been impossible for Denning.

So 2019 will mark the beginning of 14 years of writing for the Herald. More stories to explore, more dots to connect. Keep an eye out for an interesting piece on the “death penny” this spring. And of course I will dip into Mrs. Mundie’s library of past Pass events. For now my wife Lorraine and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Author's Note: Found an image of Frank Wejr's old house in Mrs. Mundie's scrapbooks and sent it to Moira Mackenzie (Frank's grand niece in Vancouver). This was part of her reply today to me. " I was having a little think through 2018, as a new year inspires us to do, and went back over the wonderful connection we made with you, and how much we learned about the family roots from you. I have to tell you again how very much it meant to Allison and me. The story really came to life for us through you, and we got such a sense of pride, placement and belonging from your interest and all that you shared. It was a highlight of the year for us."

Author’s Note: Should you want to visit or revisit any of the above stories they are all on line in my archives that Lisa has so graciously continued to maintain. Each story has many more pictures that the printed edition allows.