Embracing creativity to find solutions BY TRAVIS ELWOOD Stewart, B.C. is a remote mining and port community across from Alaska’s Misty Fiords National Park and at the end of the Portland Canal. It is a unique town that shares a border with the United States community of Hider, Alaska. The population of Stewart peaked in the thousands prior to World War I but declined with the mining and forest industry changes to now have a population of approximately 500 people. The Bear Valley School operates to provide education to the community for students in kindergarten to grade 12. The hard work and devotion of many have kept the school and community thriving de-
spite challenging times. One issue came from some unhealthy spruce trees that were affecting the sidewalks and foundation of the school building. The school community had a connection to the trees but understood the risk and damage their roots were causing as well as the obvious signs of disease. The sudden loss of the trees at the front entrance to the school, climbed by generations of students, left many concerned about what the school would be without them. After shared brainstorming efforts between school personnel and district maintenance staff, a local artist, Roderick Brown (www.cohowood.com), was hired
to turn the tree stumps into an art installation that would add to the character of the Bear Valley School. The outcome is a great example of the balance between building maintenance needs and embracing an opportunity to improve using creativity. One tree was lost but a family of interactive bears were found. n
Maddaugh Elementary School – Surrey, BC Photo: Upper Left Photography
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