Fernie Fix August 2021

AUGUST 2021 | ISSUE 176

THE

Whimsy ISSUE

IN THIS ISSUE: Whimsy Issue Special Feature with Carter Nieuwesteeg on the Fernie Gravel Grind.

Feature Resident Mike Sosnowski talks about his involvement with protecting the backcountry.

Feature Artist Troy Cook on art, music and his new show, Julie Kelly fills us in on upcoming biking and running events, and Tyla Charbonneau talks about the need to bring play back into our lives.

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AUGUST 2021 | ISSUE 176

THE

EDITOR’S FIX p7 THE WHIMSY ISSUE SPECIAL FEATURE p9 Gratitude for the Gravel Grind by Carter Nieuwesteeg

BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY p11 Business News Taking Care of Business – Dreaming of Starting a Business

by Brad Parsell

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT p16 Feature Artist - Troy Cook Musings of a Bookworm – Words and Wonder at the Library by Jessica Bozoky

COVER: Chomps hangin’ one out in the rain.

Photo by Dylan Siggers, @dylansiggers

Whimsy ISSUE

ArtBeat – A Deliberate Sound in the Right Direction by Michael Hepher At Peace and Yet on Fire – Mind Flush by Sadie Rosgen and the SHINE Performing Arts Camp Rental Fix – The Outpost by Andrew Vallance Events Calendar

HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE p36

COMMUNITY p28

The Answer Guy – PC Mover

by Kevin McIsaac Astrology – August 2021 by Ashley Kristina Through the Lens – Whimsy Photo Gallery The Social Page

Feature Resident – Mike Sosnowski City Corner – First Steps by Ange Qualizza

RECREATION AND OUTDOOR LIFE p32 Backyard Adventures – Types of Fun

by Danyal Taylor Hitting the Trails – Events Are Back

by Julie Kelly

Family Wellness – The Importance of Play

by Dr. Taina Turcasso This is Life – Go Play

by Tyla Charbonneau

BITS AND BYTES p41

FERNIE FUN p46 The Last Page

THIS PAGE: New shapes, old places.

Photo by Kristine Weiss, @kwpcollective

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Editor’s Fix

Contributors ANDREW VALLANCE is a cinephile nerd who currently lives on the west coast.

Girlfriendless, he spends his time going to movies, buying DVDs and flirting.

ANGE QUALIZZA is a nutty economist who has a passion for policy, governance and everything to do with municipal government! Let’s lift up the carpet and take a closer look inside City Hall.

ASHLEY KRISTINA has studied astrology for over twenty years and has been reading/teaching for five. For an in depth natal chart reading, email mountainashastrology@gmail.com.

BRAD PARSELL is the manager of the Fernie Chamber and loves working with our local vibrant business community. He is also a music nerd with an ever-growing collection of records in his basement.

CARTER NIEUWESTEEG is an avid biker now living back in Fernie, BC. This September, he is hosting the first annual Fernie Gravel Grind event and is looking forward to hosting gravel biking enthusiasts and showing all that Fernie has on offer.

DANYAL TAYLOR is an all year-round adventurer.You can find him hiking in the remote wilderness, crossing crevassed icefields in winter, and bagging peaks at any opportunity possible.You can see more of these adventures @danyaltaylor.

FERNIE FIX | FERNIEFIX.COM Published monthly by Claris Media. To advertise and for general inquiries: info@clarismedia.com Box 1124, 361A 1st Ave. Fernie, BC V0B 1M0 p: 250-423-4062 | clarismedia.com

JESSICA BOZOKY quit her editing job in Australia to chase the snow. Having settled in Fernie, she’s found herself at home surrounded by mountains (of books).

JULIE KELLY is the Manager for the Fernie Trails Alliance and loves spending time on the Fernie trails.

KEVIN MCISAAC haunts the coffee shops and streets of Fernie to find his column source material.

MICHAEL HEPHER is a painter, printmaker, sculptor and musician living and working in Fernie. His work is collected internationally and can be seen at Clawhammer Press and a variety of galleries in Western Canada.

Every month SADIE ROSGEN teams up with some of Fernie’s brightest young writers collaborating on a given theme. If you are reading this and think that you are that person, drop her a line at sadiepumps@gmail.com.

TAINA TURCASSO is a naturopathic physician, midwife, and new mama who is at long last practicing in Fernie. She is enjoying getting reacquainted with all of Fernie’s offerings with her family.

TYLA CHARBONNEAU is a Registered Psychologist (CPBC2385), dog momma, and nature lover. She loves talking with others about mindfulness, self-compassion, and human nature.

Editor | Krista Turcasso Creative Director | Vanessa Croome

By Krista Turcasso, Editor When we were young, the days felt endless and the memories vivid and bountiful.

Why? Well, some say it could be due to our age. In our youth time seems slower because our experiences were ‘being processed in rapid fire.’ Each second of actual time is packed with more mental images, in comparison to fewer as we age and thus a perceived quicker passing of time.

Researcher Professor Adrien Bejan adds that being rested can help slow this passing of time. Which makes sense - we are more alert and aware of our surroundings allowing us more ‘time’ to take it all in. But perhaps there is more we can do.

There is a change that occurs as we age.

Responsibility increases substantially and the never ending ‘to do’ list is always in the backdrop. In the process, we lose the natural playfulness of our youth. Of course, many responsibilities are hard to disregard. The mortgage or rent needs to get paid. Kids need to be taken care of. Work needs to get done. But what would happen if we added a little whimsy back into our day-to-day lives? Slow things down, play games, be spontaneous, sing and dance and be silly?

Last month, my family and I went to Shred Kelly’s Tiny Concert in the Annex Park. It was early into phase three of BC’s Restart Plan and we were excited and curious and a bit nervous. It’s hard to describe what unfolded… dancing barefoot in the grass for the entire show with smiles and belly laughs and tears of joy. It was beautiful and energetic and unabashed and every person there was part of it. Time slowed down, we felt and experienced every second and the images are forever etched in our memories.

Here’s to making time for whimsy this August.

All content copyright Claris Media. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publisher.

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GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP The Elk Valley Suicide Task Force is responding to the need to create a safe place for you to go with your grief.

Our grief support group is a gathering of individuals with shared experiences. It will provide people with the opportunity to share and explore personal experiences and feelings, coping strategies, and firsthand information for navigating grief and loss.

This support group is open to anyone experiencing grief.

No prior registration needed. Drop-in friendly.

LOCATION: Fernie Fox Hotel TIME: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM, bi-weekly on Tuesdays START DATE: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 COSTS: Free

Support groups are not the same as group therapy and do not take the place of professional counselling. If you find that a grief support group isn’t for you, there are resources in the Elk Valley to help you navigate through this. Please visit our website https://evstf.ca/ for resources and contact information.

THE WHIMSY ISSUE SPECIAL FEATURE

Gratitude for the Gravel Grind

by CARTER NIEUWESTEEG

“The Fernie Gravel Grind is a weekend long gravel cycling experience located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies; home to some of the best gravel riding in Canada. Over the course of the weekend, riders will experience the history-rich Fernie, British Columbia, a genuine mountain town known for its iconic mountain biking, epic vistas, and welcoming hospitality.”

the initially planned in person FGG was limited to 50 but going virtual opened it up to so many more people. By the end of the summerlong virtual event over 160 people had registered and experienced at least one of, and in some cases all of the challenges, over $6,100 was raised for the Fernie Trails Alliance, and most importantly this cycling discipline found its way into Fernie’s deeply rooted bike culture.

The Fernie Gravel Grind began as a suggestion by a family friend in the summer 2017. We were at a backyard dinner party with a bunch of cyclocross and mountain bikes laying not far from the picnic table.

We were trying to interpret what this gravel biking thing was, how it would be unique and exciting to have an event in Fernie featuring the amazing and seemingly endless Forest Service Roads (FSRs) that surround us and that I, the guy who spends most of his training rides out on them, should be the one to do it. The ideas was stuck in the back my head for a few years and it wasn’t until I was finishing my degree in 2020 that I decided to pull the pin and actually create the Fernie Gravel Grind.

Since the 2020 event, the FGG has exploded on every front. This year the event has grown from myself to a team of six people, and it’s now a weekend gravel festival rather than just a single day ride. The 2021 Fernie Gravel Grind includes a Friday Industry Night where riders can pick up their race package and walk through a vendor village learning what’s new in the gravel world.

After five months of planning the 2020 FGG, Covid-19 hit and as we know, shut literally everything down. I couldn’t have picked a worse time to create a mass gathering event. I was already pretty nervous organising an event by myself for the first time ever, and when Covid arrived it turned it into a (very temporary) nightmare.

Saturday’s Gravel Grind features two gravel route options with mass starts. Lastly, Sunday’s Social Group Rides with locals and some of BC’s best gravel athletes tours groups showing off first-hand exactly what Fernie has to offer both on the backroads and in town.

Steve Reed Photo Fortunately, the internet exists, so I decided rather than cancelling the FGG and have it fade into Covid nothingness, I would turn it into a virtual event featuring seven different gravel routes in the area, all ranging in distance and difficulty. Not only were some of the routes challenging for the seasoned explorer but they were also accommodating for new riders just looking to dip their toes into the newly emerged discipline that we all have come to love, gravel biking.

Looking back a year later, Covid might have been the best thing for the event as

This year, I’m most excited about welcoming everyone to my hometown.

For awhile it was really uncertain if 2021’s fate would be the same as the year before.

So, being able to welcome everyone, inperson, to this year’s FGG is pretty exciting.

To learn more about the Fernie Gravel Grind, visit ferniegravelgrind.com.

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A glimpse into the remarkable stories of people and places in the Columbia Basin.

Whimsical Reading is Just Down the Highway

As with huckleberry picking, Erin Dalton, owner of Huckleberry Books in Cranbrook, believes looking through a good bookstore is an adventure. “You never know what you’re going to quite find.” Over the years, Dalton has had help with her whimsical vision from Columbia Basin Trust’s Basin Business Advisors program — from managing staff and streamlining operations to planning for succession and hiring a graphic designer. New branding, which appears in big letters on the new storefront and staff t-shirts, adds whimsy to book-finding adventures.

Find more on

ourtrust.org/stories

Business in the Valley

Submitted Photo

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The Arts Station 601 1st Ave 250-423-4842 Starting August 4, enjoy five weeks of free concerts, popping up each Wednesday in Station Square (outside The Arts Station), a sizzling summer of live music, and good times in downtown Fernie! The music is free, and everyone is welcome! Beginning at 5:30pm all are welcome to enjoy live music, refreshment garden, food trucks, and a kids activity tent.

The Wednesday Socials are a highly anticipated weekly summer event that draws close to 500 community members and visitors each week. This free, fun, family-friendly event is the perfect end to a day in the mountains.

To social like a local, bring ID, a chair, small parasol, and water bottle to beat the summer heat, eat at one of the local food trucks, and bring cash for a cold beer!

Head downtown early to check out local boutiques and stores and stick around after to check out the restaurant and bar scene! theartsstation.com

BUSINESS NEWS

Submitted Photo

Elk Valley Suicide Task Force

Fernie Physiotherapy

evstf.ca

Fernie Physiotherapy would like to welcome their newest team member, Haley Guttin, RMT.

The Elk Valley Suicide Task Force is responding to the need to create a safe place for you to go with your grief by creating a grief support group.

Their grief support group is a gathering of individuals with shared experiences. It will provide people with the opportunity to share and explore personal experiences and feelings, coping strategies, and firsthand information for navigating grief and loss. Support groups are ways to bring together people who have gone through or are going through transitions which are difficult to deal with alone.

Hosted Tuesday evenings at the Fernie Fox Hotel starting September 21 at 6pm, free and open to anyone experiencing grief.

Drop-in friendly.

Visit evstf.ca for more information, additional resources and contact information.

901 5th Ave 250-423-3423

Haley graduated from the International Academy of Massage in Ottawa. Living an active life skiing, biking, climbing, and all that falls in between, Haley understands the role that massage, and proper education plays in the healing process.

She is excited to help clients achieve a greater sense of well-being through hands-on therapy and education on how to take an active role in their health and wellness journey. Haley uses a variety of massage techniques, depths of pressure, and open communication to adapt treatment to clients’ individual needs. She believes that massage is a beneficial modality in the maintenance of a healthy and functional life and enjoys being immersed in multidisciplinary clinics where a variety of therapists and practitioners can work together to optimize client care.

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Business in the Valley

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Mantra Spirit Studio 591C 2nd Ave 250-430-2266 Tricia Clarke, certified Yoga instructor and Reiki Master, is incredibly excited to be opening a new studio to serve Fernie and the community. With a background in breathwork, meditation and vibrational sound healing, her approach is a blending of the spirit, mind and body to enhance well-being.

Mantra Spirit Studio will be opening in August offering Hatha, Ashtanga, Reiki Restorative,Yin Yoga as well as kids’ classes featuring Ecstatic Dance and Drumming.

Everyone is welcome for a free community day of classes on August 1.

Tricia encourages you to join in and see what Yoga infused with Reiki can do for your well-being and happiness. Stay up to date by checking out Tricia’s new site mantraspiritstudio.com.

BUSINESS NEWS

Jamie Inman Photography

Submitted Photo

Rocky Mountain Optometry

SISU Midwifery

642 2nd Ave 250-423-4467

SISU Midwifery has opened its doors and Taina Turcasso, BSc, ND, RM is thrilled to be able to offer family-centered midwifery services to the families of the Elk Valley.

She is welcoming both patients who are interested in full-scope midwifery from the positive pregnancy test right through to six weeks postpartum as well as those who are simply looking for home-based postpartum care. She will be offering both home birth as well as hospital birth at Elk Valley Hospital in Fernie and is looking forward to becoming part of the local maternity team.

Rocky Mountain Optometry (RMO) is proud to announce its new owners, Dr. Shane Groeneweg and Dr. Katelyn Rose.

You may recognize both faces from around town. Dr. Rose grew up in the Elk Valley and is very happy to be back in her home, and Dr. Groeneweg has been in Fernie since 2007. RMO is always accepting new patients and Dr. Rose has a passion for paediatric optometry and contact lenses. Dr. Don Vinge has officially retired after serving the community for close to 40 years and Dr. Jeff Mann continues to work at RMO’s Blairmore and Fernie offices on a part-time basis.

The clinic has also had Dr. Andrea Glover as an associate at all three of clinics since 2018.

Dr. Rose and Dr. Groeneweg are both very excited to help grow and improve RMO’s service in these communities.

361A 1 Avenue

Taina will also be starting up her naturopathic medical practice at SISU Midwifery in the fall and is excited to share her passion for and experience with naturopathic paediatric care, reproductive/ fertility support, perimenopause, and well-woman care. She hopes to provide compassionate and inclusive care for the whole family.

SISU Midwifery is located at 361A 1 Avenue in Fernie. Please contact Taina for more information, sisumidwifery@gmail. com or visit sisumidwifery.com.

A new brew, just for you.

Submitted Photo

Timber Benefits timberbenefits.com 780-668-2554 Timber Benefits offers employers unique and completely customized employee benefit packages, giving local businesses flexible options to attract and retain highquality employees.

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Timber is co-owned by seasonal Fernie residents, Darcy Leclaire and Susie Sykes.

“We strongly believe that benefits should be used to help employees stay healthy, not just be available when someone gets sick,” says Susie. “We are so proud to bring flexible benefits to local businesses and support the physical and mental wellbeing of families in town.”

While Timber offers traditional plans including health, dental and vision care, the benefits getting the most buzz are non-traditional wellness benefits. This includes 24/7 telemedicine that connects families with instant access to healthcare if they can’t get to a family doctor. Timber also offers an online therapy benefit to support mental health, flexible spending accounts and even a vacation savings plan for employees.

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Business in the Valley

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Dreaming of Starting a Business

by BRAD PARSELL Many people daydream about the fanciful idea of one day being their own boss and owning their own business. It sounds awesome, right?! Choosing your own work hours, getting to pick who you work with, ideally doing something you love every day, reaping all the profits – who wouldn’t want to do that?

Of course, anyone who has started a small business will tell you it is a little more complicated than that. Actually, it is a LOT more complicated. There is a dizzying array of issues and practical concerns to consider before you cut the ribbon on opening day. What market are you going to serve?

What niche are you going to fill? How does your skillset compliment running this kind of business? Will you have a physical location? Will you be leasing that space or buying it outright? Have you considered your marketing plan? What about supply chains? Will you have access to a stable workforce, or constantly be re-hiring and re-training people? Do you have enough capital to setup the business and cover any initial losses? Will you need to borrow some money to get this going? How much money do you stand to make at the end of a year after taxes and expenses?

Like most things in life, your chances of success are significantly greater if you have a plan. A robust business plan that considers all the above questions is critical – particularly if you intend on applying for a loan. Fortunately, there are a lot of great supports for new and would-be entrepreneurs available to people in our area. Small Business BC (smallbusinessbc. ca) is a great place to start. They have a ton of information and education resources for people looking to start a business in our province – including how to write a thorough and useful business plan.

“Like most things in life, your chances of success are significantly greater if you have a plan.”

The next critical piece once you have a plan your confident in is finding the startup capital. There are quite a few options here, but you may want to consider talking to a dedicated business start-up lender over a traditional bank.

Organizations like Community Futures (cfek.ca) and the Women’s Enterprise Centre (womensenterprise.ca) have great programs designed especially for startups, typically at lower rates than other financial institutions. These organizations also wrap business support and advice around their lending to better support you getting your business off the ground.

Then comes the more fun stuff – choosing a name, branding, choosing a location, etc. There are some other key formalities like registering your business, getting

Submitted Photo a business license from your municipal government, and insurance. Again, there is plenty of support out there to help you navigate these processes during startup and even once you have been trading for a while. I will shamelessly plug here the value of becoming a member of your local Chamber of Commerce who have a wealth of resources, connections, and networking opportunities to meet your fellow entrepreneurs. I also highly recommend engaging the services of the Basin Business Advisors Program (bbaprogram.ca) at any phase of your business lifespan. They provide free, one-to-one, confidential business advisement to businesses operating in the Columbia Basin.

With a lot of planning and forethought, and by leaning into the ecosystem of business supports we have – your dream of becoming your own boss may be easier to reach than you think.

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Arts and Entertainment

FEATURE ARTIST

Troy Cook Music has always been a binding art form that has informed and influenced other forms of art, especially the work of painters. Whether it is used as a vehicle in the production of art or directly applied as subject matter, music has been synonymous with a great variety of art and creation.

English painter David Hockney would choreograph an intense drive that he timed out to Wagner’s “Flight of the Valkyries.” He would drive a windy road at different speeds, with the song exploding from his car stereo until he found the perfect length of road

that would allow him to drive up to his seaside home as the song came to its dramatic end.

I too put together different pairings of music and roads, generally dirt roads, in attempts to master this exercise. It is truly rewarding to plan one of these experiments and pull into the driveway and have a song perfectly end as you put your car into park.

Matching music with the act of driving also releases an emotional response to the entire moment which can become notable, a new memory and greater appreciation of a piece of music.

Jean-Michel Basquiat would paint to music, as many creative people do, when making art. His interaction with the music often ended up in his paintings and as word play in his work. His stark works often depicted musicians and conveyed the rhythms of what he was listening to while creating.

In my recent group of paintings entitled Night Rambles in Shadows with Liquor Store Blues, I used a combination of these techniques to draw out a show that would reflect the influence music and travel has had on what I create. I researched several songs and

pulled lyrics from these songs that had an impact on me in various ways at various times.

Songs often lay a marker for me of a specific moment.

Once I had chosen a lyric and drew out a memory of that lyric, I let the creative process take over assembling the visual and emotional work. The art became primitive or demanded more detail.

Planning also took into account colour, canvas dimension and the construct of the room I would be showing the work.

To accompany the work, I created a Spotify playlist people attending the show could access on their phones and listen to while viewing the exhibit.

This also became a vehicle to sharing music with the viewer they may not have known about, or music that they were familiar which drew on their own connections to the songs.

Troy Cook’s collection Night Rambles in Shadows with Liquor Store Blues is on exhibit at the Fernie Museum gallery this summer. Admission is free for members, $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and free for youth ages 17 and under. ferniemuseum.com FERNIEFIX.COM

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Arts and Entertainment

MUSINGS OF A BOOKWORM

Words and Wonder at the Library

by JESSICA BOZOKY Feeling the heat this summer? Cool off at the Fernie Heritage Library. Bask in our air-conditioning while browsing the shelves for a book, magazine or movie, or just surfing online on a public computer.

Sit in the shade of our tents in the Library garden and connect to the Wi-Fi or bring along a table-top game to play. We even have a giant chess set in the garden.

For our younger patrons, Storytimes are moving outside (virtual Storytime will be posted to our social media if the weather on the day isn’t amenable). Watch our social media for all details.

The Fernie Youth Action Network will also be hosting an array of fun programmes for teens in the Library garden and around town, follow them on Facebook and Instagram for the most up-to-date information.

There is also still time to participate in the Summer Reading Club this month.

Patrons must register weekly for activities and crafts, so head to our website for more information.

The Library will be closed the first week of August 3-7, so our staff can enjoy a few blissful summer days before jumping into programming and preparations for the new school year. Fear not, fellow bookworms, for our digital library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

You can even carry it around in your back pocket. Access our digital collection of books, audiobooks and magazines by downloading Libby by Overdrive and logging in with your Library card details.

Some whimsical adult fiction to enjoy this summer: The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker The Midnight Library by Matt Haig All the Birds in The Sky by Charlie Jane Anders Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish by David Rakoff The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime by Mark Haddon Mostly Void, Partially Stars Welcome to Night Vale Volume 1 by Joseph Fink Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Adult Non-Fiction Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson Don’t Think Twice: Adventure and Healing At 100 Miles Per Hour by Barbara Schoichet

Illustration By Pruthvi Harshan Visit ferniefix.com to find tthe full size black and white illiustration to colour in!

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard

Young Adult Serpent & Dove by Shelby Manhurin Frankly in Love by David Yoon The Upside of Falling by Alex Light The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessin Kings, Queens, in Betweens by Tanya Boteju

Share The Nuggets Take your books on an adventure with you this summer and get someone to take a photo of you reading in the great outdoors. FHL will be sharing submitted photos on our social media platforms, with prizes for staff favourites. Photos can be submitted to: fhlprogrammer@gmail. com

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Arts and Entertainment

ARTBEAT

A Deliberate Sound in the Right Direction

by MICHAEL HEPHER

Painting by Michael Hepher I’m not what you would call a whimsical guy. I know I can come off somewhat pensive, though I do love a good laugh. I’m prone to silliness on occasion, especially when word puns are involved, but whimsey is another thing altogether. I am jealous of people who can pull off whimsey. I admire it—I wish for it even—but it just doesn’t flow from me. My attempts at whimsey typically come off as stiff, forced, and not very whimsical at all.

The only thing I’ve made that has really captured an authentic lightheartedness is that big, bright mural I painted back in 2019 on the side of the Beanpod. The success of that piece was entirely dependent on having a subject matter I truly believe in - you, my community.

July 1, 2021 was the 10th anniversary of our move to Fernie. If you had seen us rolling into town, it would have been quite a sight: a line of scruffy vans and trucks loaded down with instruments, kids, paints, furniture, and printing presses. Over these ten years we’ve slowly found our people

and come to be familiar with the ups and downs of this little mountain hamlet.

We were here when the first pride sidewalk was painted, and when it was defaced. We live up the street from the tragedy at the Memorial Arena, and we felt the kindness of strangers as we were stuck in a hotel for a week. We’ve witnessed the growth of the Wednesday Socials from 30 stragglers to 600 plus, and felt the ache of missing those connections through the months of Covid.

We’ve seen our kids grow, face hard times, find friends, learn, change and take giant steps to becoming their adult selves. We’ve heard hurtful words and felt overwhelming support. We’ve railed and bucked and made mistakes. We’ve laughed and cried and fell in and out of love with this town over and over again. We’ve tried to make space and time for important things and frivolous things. Through it all we’ve discovered and lost and rediscovered ourselves, and not much of it feels like whimsey to me.

It truly is a time that’s hard to find the lightness in. I know we need it, but with fires raging around BC, the monster of

a pandemic year full of anxieties still clutching at our ankles, and life/work balance that has gone from cricket sounds to hair-straight-back almost overnight, it’s feeling hard to find energy for silliness.

Hearing all this, you may wonder why I pitched a grant application to the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance that takes the mural project all over the Columbia Basin in the form of a solo exhibition of paintings and prints— basically a room full of whimsical portraits of life in the Basin. Honestly, at this moment I’m wondering the same thing myself. I was awarded the grant, and now I’m pushing hard towards an opening date of October 2021.

The result of the grant colliding with the times is that I’m struggling to feel like these new pieces have any authenticity.

Of course, they do, but authenticity is the hill I die on and that inner artist’s voice— normally so good at pushing me forward— is currently berating me for painting all this fluff. Where is the meaning? Where is the depth? it says. And still I push on, searching.

What is emerging is that it’s you again, my community, that allows me to see the depth. This little town, the greater Kootenay community, the rugged mountains and cold lakes, and all the people in it. The history, the rivers, the miners and the hippies. Together we make one strange parade—and yet if we can somehow see what we have in common we can make this all work. Like a high school marching band, what we make is not exactly music, but it’s a deliberate sound in the right direction, and it’s here I find the meaning in my works in progress.

Way back in January 2020 I somewhat prophetically titled my grant application “In This Together.” Defining what ‘together’ means to us will define how gracefully we live, and I want to know what that means to you so I can capture it authentically. If you want to join my whimsical journey, you can follow along on Instagram at @ michaelhepher or tag your photos with #BasInThisTogether so I can see what this place, and these people, mean to you.

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Arts and Entertainment

EVENT CALENDAR

MONTHLY EVENTS Tuesday 3.8.2021 Council Meeting @ City of Sparwood, 6pm Wednesday 4.8.2021 Wednesday Social @ Station Square - Live Concert, Kids Tent, Beer Garden, food vendors Monday 9.8.2021 FMBC Shredder Series @ Sparwood Lunch Loop, 6pm Regular Council Meeting @ City Hall, 7pm Wednesday 11.8.2021 Wednesday Social @ Station Square - Live Concert, Kids Tent, Beer Garden, food vendors Thursday 12.8.2021 Tony Servello Sr. Open @ Fernie Golf Club Sunday 15.8.2021 to 21.8.2021 Fernie Writers Conference @ Downtown Fernie, a week of writing workshops, panel discussions and performances

Monday 16.8.2021 Committee of the Whole Meeting @ City Hall, 4pm

Friday 27.8.2021 Beyond Single-Use: A Weekend of Action @ Wildsight Elk Valley Online

Tuesday 17.8.2021 Council Meeting @ City of Sparwood, 6pm

Saturday 28.8.2021 Beyond Single-Use: A Weekend of Action @ Wildsight Elk Valley Online

Wednesday 18.8.2021 Wednesday Social @ Station Square - Live Concert, Kids Tent, Beer Garden, food vendors Monday 23.8.2021 Regular Council Meeting @ City Hall, 7pm Wednesday 25.8.2021 Wednesday Social @ Station Square - Live Concert, Kids Tent, Beer Garden, food vendors Thursday 26.8.2021 Transrockies Gravel Royale Finish @ Annex Park, Fernie BC Kevin Frank Exhibit Opening @ The Arts Station

Wednesday 1.9.2021 Wednesday Social @ Station Square - Live Concert, Kids Tent, Beer Garden, food vendors

Many events are subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

As things change and evolve, additional events may be added to the calendar. Make sure to stay up to date by visiting FernieFix.com/events Do you have an event to share? Send it to krista@clarismedia.com for inclusion!

WEEKLY EVENTS Mondays Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page Les Tiguidous @ AFRosFernie, outdoor activities with songs, stories in French ages 0-5. 10:15am Club Cr8 @ The Arts Station Le Club Baguette Junior @ Rotary Park, outdoor activities and games in French ages 7-12, 3:30pm Plein Air Pod @ The Arts Station, 2-4pm Date Night @ Island Lake Lodge Tuesdays Storytime (ages 3-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Try it at Home @ Fernie Heritage Library, weekly STEM/DIY for kids Fernie Youth Art Collective @ The Arts Station, 6pm Ladies’ League @ Fernie Golf Club Fernie Options for Sexual Health Clinic Open @ Elk Valley Hospital, 6:30-8:30pm by appointment Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page Burger and Beer Night @ The Northern Wing Night @ The Pub Wednesdays Curbside Craft @ Fernie Heritage Library, pick up between 12-4pm, Tuesday through Friday

Toddlertime (Ages 0-2 years) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Team Trivia @ The Fernie Men’s League @ Fernie Golf Club Art on the Deck @ The Arts Station, 1pm or 7pm Scott Downhill Race Series: Kids and Youth Race presented by Fox and Legends @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4:30pm Wednesday Social @ Station Square, 5:30pm Women on Wheels Ride @ Fernie Bike Park, 6:30pm Wine Tasting Wednesday @ Island Lake Lodge Thursdays Art on the Deck @ The Arts Station, 1pm Bellies to Babies @ Zoom, 2pm Seniors’ League @ Fernie Golf Club Club Baguette Adultes - Practice Speaking French @ AFRos Fernie via Zoom, 7pm Pub Team Trivia @ The Pub Scott Downhill Race Series: Adults and Masters Race presented by Fox and Legends @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 6:30pm Fernie Trails Alliance Work Party @ Fernie Bike Park Art in the Eve @ The Arts Station, 7pm

Fridays Storytime (ages 0-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Women on Wheels Ride @ Fernie Bike Park, 9:30am Spring Fling Scavenger Hunts @ Fernie Heritage Library, 10am Fish and Chips @ The Pub Fish and Chips Take Away @ Fernie Hotel, 4pm Meat Draw @ The Fernie Club Cre8 @ The Arts Station Saturdays Farmers Market @ Baynes Lake, 9am Shawarma Take Out @ Fernie Hotel, 4pm Meat Draw @ The Legion Historical Walking Tours @ Fernie Museum, 11am The Great Fire, 1pm Fernie at War, 3pm RumRunners Sundays Fernie Mountain Market @ Rotary Park, 10am-2pm Historical Walking Tours @ Fernie Museum, 11am The Great Fire, 1pm Fernie at War, 3pm RumRunners

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Arts and Entertainment

AT PEACE AND YET ON FIRE

Mind Flush

Mind Flush

by Sadie Rosgen and the SHINE Performing Arts Camp

By Rachel Behan, Theo Hepher, Rachel and Penny Lewis, Lily and Scarlett Earl, Max and Kallie McRae, Charlie and Lucy Staples, Liam Lawrence, Asia Gadd, Nova Willems, Anika Jones, Brooklyn Irving, Olivia Cromey, Maeve Green, and Sadie Rosgen

When I am most displaced by vivid whimsy, I am transported to the theatre. Black stage, black walls, heavy lights, thick curtains, the delicate veil of magic and the suspension of disbelief.

If I’m lucky, I’m at the Arts Station teaching SHINE performing arts camp, a camp Rachel Behan and I founded years ago out of our love for the performing arts. SHINE camp offers all things fun and diverse for kids in the performing arts. We have taught hundreds of performers through singing, dance, scene study, mask, movement, and writing the value of storytelling and the importance of one’s voice. This summer we came together and we worked hard, felt all the feelings, and performed together again, connecting like never before. Here’s a poem depicting our small fragments of whimsy, wild and powerful, from the mouths of babes...

It’s a dreamscape, a white room swirling in pastels, TRANSPORTED popping bubbles, blowing clouds, noise echoing from the trees we see the sky, grateful for what we have happy excited singing! patterns of joy sssssssssssssss shhhhhhhhhhh SILENCE The wind, beckoning our alternate reality floating and flying overhead

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Arts and Entertainment

THE RENTAL FIX

The Outpost

by ANDREW VALLANCE Jake Tapper is a well respected, American journalist and author, best known for his work as the Washington anchor for CNN. His book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor debuted in 2012, reaching number 10 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Tapper’s book and his reporting on US veterans and troops were cited as reasons for his receiving an award for Excellence in Journalism from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

The Contender (2000) and The Last Castle (2001).

The film stars Scott Eastwood, Milo Gibson and Will Attenborough, all of whom have unremarkable filmographies in spite of their connections to the film industry. Eastwood is the son of actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood. He appeared in Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018). Gibson is the son of Mel Gibson. He was in Gangster Land (2017) and will appear in All the Devil’s Men which is to be released in 2021.

Attenborough is the son of theatre director Michael Attenborough and grandson of actor-director Richard Attenborough, as well as great-nephew of naturalist David Attenborough. Also appearing in the film is Caleb Landry Jones. In 2017 Jones had supporting roles in Get Out and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.

In 2020 the book was made into a film. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its battle sequences and respectful depiction of soldiers.

The story takes place in 2009 at Kamdesh, one of several U.S. army outposts in Northern Afghanistan. It was situated in a remote valley surrounded by the Hindu Kush mountains, and the troops stationed there faced regular Taliban attacks, culminating in one of the bloodiest battles of the war when 53 soldiers and two military advisors battled hundreds of enemy insurgents. An estimated 150 insurgents were killed, and 27 Americans were wounded and eight died. Two soldiers received Medals of Honor, and 27 Purple Hearts were awarded for wounds sustained in combat, making the unit the most decorated in the war.

The combat in this film is exciting, fast paced and well edited. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the character development which is generally terrible.

The main characters are interchangeable, boorish, emotionally stunted frat boys who the audience get to know only on a very superficial level. The Afghan characters in the film are portrayed as either savages or cowards, which is highly insulting to the

“The combat in this film is exciting, fast paced and well edited.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the character development which is generally terrible.” eight Afghan soldiers who fought and died alongside the Americans.

Director Rod Lurie was a graduate of the West Point Military Academy before starting his foray into filmmaking. He has written and directed such films as

The one character in the film who does stand out is Captain Benjamin Keating, played by Orlando Bloom. Although Bloom doesn’t have a lot to work with, he makes the best of his limited time on screen. Unfortunately for the audience Keating dies in a Humvee accident about half an hour into the film. The role is a comedown for a quality actor like Bloom whose outstanding film credits include The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Troy (2004), Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and Carnival Row (2019 to present).

Hollywood does love the US military, collaborating with them for decades to produce films such as Top Gun and Platoon, but unfortunately, many of these films are flat and jingoistic. The Outpost is, unfortunately, one of the latter. I urge you to give this one a pass.

FERNIEFIX.COM

27

Community

FEATURE RESIDENT

Mike Sosnowski

by KRISTA TURCASSO Over the last few years I have had the opportunity to sit on the Tourism Master Plan committee with an impressive group of Fernie residents and leaders. This plan, supported by Tourism Fernie, the City of Fernie, the Regional District of the East Kootenays (RDEK), and the Columbia Basin Trust, is a framework to ensure the direction of tourism in the Fernie area reflects the needs and interests of residents, and also that tourism is sustainable in future.

Mike Sosnowski, as Area A representative for the RDEK was on this committee.

Having grown up in Fernie and attended school with his son, I knew Mike (to me, Mr. Sosnowski) but never in this realm and it was interesting to get to learn more about him and his involvement in our community.

Recently, Mike has put together a team to determine the sustainability and impacts of tourism in the RDEK and to support the findings with funding. Areas they have recognized thus far are Heiko’s and Hartley Lake Road, Silver Springs, the Elk River and the Coal Creek Valley. To any avid recreationalist, the increase in the use of trails and the special places that surround us is evident and of increasing concern, so both the Tourism Master Plan and the Tourism Sustainability Committee are vital and relieving.

It’s obvious that Mike feels the same way.

Born on Dicken Road in 1955, the change he has seen is miles above what many of us have experienced.

“I did K-12 at Fernie Secondary, where 901 is now. Every grade was there! It was great growing up here, you knew everybody and everybody looked after each other,” he tells me over coffee. “After

Krista Turcasso Photo graduating, I became a commercial pilot and tried that for a few years, but nobody would hire an 18 year old. It was just too hard to make it, so I ended up going back to work in the bush for my dad in the forest industry.”

Mike has worked in Forestry in multiple ways, including running his own company for twenty years in Alberta. When he sold his shares, he started a business in Fernie Prestige Tours. “We did that for a dozen of years, and it was great! But we moved on as the business model stopped making sense so I started helping with my son’s business.”

While Mike moved into Fernie proper, he felt that there was a lack of support for the rural Elk Valley areas and it inspired him to get into politics.

“I ran for local government in 2006, and have been the Area A Rep the last 16 years!

When I got elected, Area A was getting $16,000 in extraordinary taxes. After my second term, we cracked a million dollars,” Mike says. “I looked at government through my business lens. While you always have a guaranteed cash register in the tax payer, you never want to use it.You need to find different ways to raise money.”

Mike has also been heavily involved in snowmobiling, and was part of the group who started the Fernie Snowmobile Association in 1992 which was ‘front and centre’ when the Southern Rocky Mountain Management Plan was being created.

“Fernie is so lucky to have organizations like the Snowmobile club and the Trails Alliance, they’ve kept up with the tourism product better than any other.

The Snowmobile Club is running four snowcats now! I bought one in 1995 because I hated riding the rough trails, and only Fernie and Revelstoke had cats back then. They’re doing a tremendous job now, and have a huge membership.”

But it’s also this growth in tourism that raised the concerns that led to the Sustainable Tourism Committee and the report currently being created.

“There are so many people in the backcountry and you can’t stop them. The worms are crawling out of the can. What I think about is, where are these people going to the bathroom or putting their garbage? Parking lots are where you see it most but also in areas like Heiko’s Trail.

The City gets RMI funds, and they put it to great use. But electoral areas also need money because people are all recreating out there. We have to figure out how to manage the masses of people in the backcountry, and should have been doing it the last ten years.”

Mike says the report should be completed soon, and will be a helpful tool in creating awareness and hopefully attracting funds to support the needed steps recognized in the report to support areas being affected.

During our time together, Mike’s phone has rung a few times, texts have come through, and I can tell he has somewhere he needs to be after we’re done. I’m curious, what are his plans?

“Well, the election is next fall… and I don’t intend on running,” he says. While nobody has come forward to fill his shoes, Mike shares some wisdom. “They should

have business experience, and a passion for making the best decisions you can for the constituents. It’s all about them.”

And what does the future hold for Mike?

“I’m going to retire! I’m 65 and it’s time for me to enjoy travelling, and just doing retirement!” He is also invested in the sustainability plan, and hopes it evolves… “because we don’t have the answers. It is ever evolving to help make tourism sustainable. What does that mean? It means the experience is repeatable… year after year. And that’s hard.”

Thank you, Mike. For your commitment to our community and to the sustainability of these special places we all love to explore and want to protect.

6. What time of the year do you love most in Fernie, and why?

Spring time. It’s renewal.

7. Where do you see or hope to see Fernie in five years?

Exactly like it is, because it will never be less. I don’t want to see a huge amount of growth.

8. How do you start your day or what is one of your daily rituals?

Coffee and a one egg omelette that I usually make myself.

9. Tell us something people might be surprised to learn about you.

1. When did you first arrive in the Valley and what brought you here?

Honestly I don’t know how to answer that.

After being here for all of these years.

I was born in the Parkplace Pub, because that used to be the maternity ward of the old Fernie Hospital!

10. Quote to live by: Be honest and transparent.

2. Who did you first meet?

I grew up with the Mackenzies on Dicken Road and the Phillips.

3. Do you remember your first general impression of Fernie?

Growing up in the rural area of Dicken Road (there were only four houses on the road at that time) and taking the school bus into the town of Fernie. It was the combination of these two places that shaped and inspired me.

4. What keeps you here?

Love of the Elk Valley and family. My two sons and four grandsons all live in the valley.

5. Do you have a favourite Fernie pastime?

It used to be snowmobiling… I miss it so much. I’m too old… I look at every mountain top and I’ve sat on most of them.

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Community

CITY CORNER

First Steps

by ANGE QUALIZZA Reconciliation isn’t an either-or proposition. It absolutely feels uncertain, confusing and at times overwhelming to know what to do next, but I could not have been prouder of our community to start on that path with the very first step, acknowledgement.

On Canada Day with open hearts, Fernie and the Yaq̓ it ʔa·knuqⱡIm walked together in Reconciliation.

Photos by Vince Mo

With heavy hearts Yaq̓ it ʔa·knuqⱡIm Council and elders gathered on city hall grounds. Councilllor Kyle Shottanana and Nasuʔkin (Chief) Heidi Gravelle spoke with grace and eloquence. It was powerful to have both elected councils participating in a formal ceremony to acknowledge the past wrongs, and to the best of our abilities try to support one another.

we walked to acknowledge. Across this country, we will take different steps and that’s ok. We have a long road ahead of us.

Vince Mo has generously shared his photos with me for this article, and they tell a story that my words cannot.

Please keep walking. Keep acknowledging.

Keep holding space.

We walked for the little ones who didn’t make it home, we walked to support,

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Recreation and Outdoor Life

BACKYARD ADVENTURES

Types of Fun

by DANYAL TAYLOR There are many Fernieites who have left the city-dweller lifestyle behind for the adventure-packed, outdoor way of life this town has to offer. What was once a severalhour drive to access adventure has turned into a five-minute pedal from your house to reach some amazing terrain.

A common theme has become apparent in many chairlift chats - people come to Fernie for the deep powder and end up staying for the summer. Repeat. Coming here, I’ve developed my adventurous side and dived into different pursuits - ski touring, biking, climbing, and mountaineering - all things that were too far out of reach back home. I have had the best time of my life working hard and playing harder in these mountains.

I’ve had a number of unforgettable experiences in the outdoors and met exceptional people with extraordinary stories and perspectives, but if there is one concept that has really stuck with me, it was something I learned while ski touring with my buddy Sam. We climbed and skied down the summit of Mt Proctor, which was a long and arduous day; the crux being having to boot pack on ice with no crampons. He called it a Type 2 day.

Now, you might be wondering... a “type” what?

Upon further questioning, he explained that there were three types of fun…Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3. On a basic level, everything we do in the outdoors can qualify as fun, because it’s better than being at work, right? It was a new idea to me and it became a simple way to describe how an adventure went. I also learned that I needed Type 1 and Type 2 fun in my life to keep my mental health and body in check.

Type 3 though… well maybe one or two

of these in a lifetime will suffice unless you enjoy making news headlines.

Danyal Taylor Photos It helps explain why the adventurer endures these big days; an ideology that helps the everyday person understand why some people like to suffer.

So, what the heck is a Type of Fun?

Type 2 Fun

Fun / noun / what provides amusement or enjoyment

Enjoyment in retrospect. It sucks the entire time but you get bragging rights at the bar later. The weather turns for the worst, you’re damp and cold, your gear failed, the snow turned to garbage, or all of them put together. It makes for a great story though!

I scrounged the internet and found some non-peer reviewed articles from adventurecertified outfitters like REI and Teton Gravity Research* to explain what a type of fun was.

Type 1 Fun The kind of fun that is fun the entire time you are doing it and is pleasant to reminisce about.

Example activities: Powder skiing, drinking cocktails at the bar, lift-serviced mountain biking, fly fishing and hiking.

1.5 It sucks at some point, like going uphill or the weather turning but it is still all smiles later on - granted, usually on the descent.

Example activities: Ski touring, trail mountain biking, hiking up to summits and rafting.

Example activities: Trail to Ale, getting stuck bike-packing in sticky mud, marathon running, navigation fails, bushwhacking in devils club, camping in a lightning storm and no-fall zone sheet ice skiing.

Type 3 Fun PTSD-inducing misery that will give you flashbacks for decades. It is never fun while you are doing it, but it’s a learning experience that allows us to appreciate the good times.You often feel like your life is threatened, it ends with a heli-evac and you make the news. Maybe after a (long) while, you’ll be able to crack a smile.

Ernest Shackleton practically invented Type3 fun during his failed 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica. Here, he and several members of his crew land the 20-foot rowboat they used to cross 720 miles of open ocean in 80-foot seas to reach the backside of an island that had a whaling station on it, portending a rescue.

Unfortunately, they were on the wrong side, and had to cross 32 miles of glaciers, mountains, and ice that had never been mapped before, including a finish in a glacial creek, before reaching civilization.

Serious Type III fun. - Taken from the TGR article (tetongravity.com/story/ culture/the-three-and-a-half-types-of-funexplained) Make your days filled with Type 1, your heart and memories filled with Type 2, and hopefully you never experience a Type 3 day, but if you do, I am sure there is plenty to learn from it! * rei.com/blog/climb/fun-scale / tetongravity.com/story/culture/the-threeand-a-half-types-of-fun-explained

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Recreation and Outdoor Life

HITTING THE TRAILS

Events Are Back

by JULIE KELLY, FTA As we move into Step 3 of BC’s Restart, we are able to host some fun events again on our trails! Some new and old favourites are back.

Two years in the making the Fernie Gravel Grind (FGG) is all set to kick off Sept 17-19. Last year the event ran virtually and was a great success donating $6,144.35 to the Fernie Trails Alliance. This year, the weekend starts on Friday night with registration sign in and an Industry night. The FGG race begins on Saturday morning. Riders have the option to ride either the Big or Small loop. The Big loop will challenge racers with a beast of a climb to the summit of Morrissey Ridge and some fast gravel descending. The total loop is 60km with 1150m of gain. The Small loop is suitable for those just getting into adventure racing. There are some great views and challenges in this 38km and 500m gain course.

Our Member Club, Fernie Mountain Bike Club (FMBC) will be serving up some old classics including Project 9 on Sept 9 and Dirt Diggler on Sept 11. The popular High Roller will be back at the end of September or early October. Stay tuned for the confirmed date and route.

Lone Wolf Loop Time: 45 mins - 1 hour Distance: 6.8 km Difficulty: Blue Stag Leap Running Co., another one of our Member Clubs, hosts the popular Lone Wolf running race on September 25-26.

This “Last Man Standing” race format is on a beautiful singletrack loop with a moderate elevation gain of 210m in 6.8 kms.

Stag Leap Running Co. Photo The loop will be washing-machine style, heading clockwise, then counter clockwise, then clockwise and so on. Racers need to make it back to base before the hour cut off, and be ready to start the loop again, on the hour.

If racers miss the cut off, they’re out and remain in the den.

Give this loop a go and get ready for September or just get out there and have some fun!

START/FINISH, Elk Valley Nordic Centre RACE ROUTE: 6.5km, 240m vertical ODD # LAPS: Turn Left EVEN # LAPS: Turn Right

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35

Health and Lifestyle

FAMILY WELLNESS

The Importance of Play

by DR TAINA TURCASSO, ND RM We can all appreciate the value of playing simply from an enjoyment perspective.

Most kids count the minutes until recess, after school, the weekend, play dates; any opportunity to get out there and practice some free play with little to no structure.

We know they enjoy it, possibly (hopefully) even enjoy it ourselves from time to time, but do we fully appreciate how important free play is and how useful it can be as an intervention? Probably not. Thankfully, play is having a sort of renaissance after decades of implementation of more structured learning models for kids starting from a very young age. While kids benefit from the structure of preschool, elementary school and so on, they also clearly benefit from having regular free time, both alone and with their peers to just experiment, play, interact with their surroundings, and allow their imagination to take over and guide their freestyle play. While physical activity is clearly good for all of us for a variety of reasons, open play is something entirely different.

Free, unstructured play happens when your child isn’t following any rules or guidelines, like when they are busy building forts, finger painting, or engaged in role play.

It helps to cultivate independence, imagination, creativity, and problemsolving skills. It can also help them deal with stress and anxiety and play therapy has become an effective tool for therapists to use with their young population. From a neuroscience perspective, free play is fundamental to every type of learning and it physically changes the shape of the brain, forming neural pathways that change the brain globally, affecting both the sensory and motor cortex.

Krista Turcasso Photo

“...as we move into another school year, try to schedule some regular ‘free play’ time for your family and see what comes of it.”

Neuroplasticity is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. These changes range from individual neuron pathways making new connections, to systematic adjustments like cortical remapping. There are two main types of neuroplasticity: structural, where the brain is able to change its physical structure in response to learning, and functional, where it moves functions from a damaged area to an undamaged area. Typically, our potential for neuroplasticity is greatest when we are younger, as seen in babies who learn

how to crawl or walk so quickly, or a toddler who can become fluent in another language. These types of skills are gained through the use of free, unstructured play and exposure to new things coupled with the remarkable neuroplasticity of their young brains.

It is very easy to give babies and toddlers unstructured play time because really, it’s all they do other than eat and sleep but as they get older we tend to try to create more of a structure through school, sports, family activities, etc., which are all beneficial but sometimes we forget to simply include letting them just play independently, either by themselves or with a sibling/friends, and have no structure or distraction. The same is true for adults. We try to have so much structure and/or are constantly stimulated by our devices that it doesn’t allow us to experience free play.

Thankfully there are a lot of little ones

around that we can get on the floor with and participate in some physical or sensory free play time.

Neuroplasticity does tend to decline as we become adults and age but it doesn’t end. Historically (even as recently as when I was going through my training), we believed that once neurons die, they don’t get replaced and that the brain cannot grow and change once we have reached early adulthood. Part of this belief came from the observation that most people who suffered significant brain trauma were unable to recover but more recent studies have demonstrated that the brain is able to rewire itself following damage and that it continues to create new neural pathways and alter existing ones in order to adapt to new experiences, learn new information, and create new memories.

This has been an exciting finding because it has opened the door to new therapy options for people who have suffered from a stroke or traumatic brain injury as well as those suffering with dementia. In patients suffering from dementia, play therapy can help to maintain their skills, elevate mood, enhance their sense of peace, improve sleep, optimize their adaptive functioning, and decrease some of the adverse behavioural features of dementia.

The purpose of the Communities of Interest Advisory Initiative is to foster dialogue and communication between the four coal operations and community representatives within their area of influence.

A Child’s Development is in Your Hands.

Play, attachment, and affection are all very important for young people and other humans!

Check out this new website from the BC Healthy Child Development Alliance for videos and other resources: www.feelingsfirst.ca

www.evcnpvoice.com

While clearly there is much more that has been uncovered than the scope of what one article could include around the utility of play for people of all ages and how it relates to brain elasticity and there is certainly even more yet to be uncovered, it is clear that true unstructured, independent, and free play benefits people of all ages.

Beyond that, it is just freeing to let yourself be uninhibited and dance freely, paint without an attachment to the outcome, and crawl around on the floor with your baby. We are all so busy with our lives and we tend to put the same pressure on our kids to be “busy” so as we move into another school year, try to schedule some regular “free play” time for your family and see what comes of it.

Stay safe and stay cool!

FERNIEFIX.COM

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AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER CONTINUING EDUCATION IN FERNIE:

First Aid and Safety

Lifestyle and Leisure

z St. John Standard for Industry | August 3

z Bike Maintenance (online classroom) | August 4

z Transportation Endorsement | August 5

z Canadian Firearms Safety | August 7

z Occupational First Aid Level 1 | August 9

z Elk River Discovery Camp (Ages 10 - 14) | August 9

z Haul Truck | August 30

z Elk River Discovery Camp (Ages 10 - 14) | August 16

z St. John Standard for Industry | September 13

z CORE Hunter Training | August 21

z Transportation Endorsement | September 15

z CORE Hunter Training | August 28

z Basic Fall Protection | September 16

z CORE Hunter Training | September 25

z Occupational First Aid Level 1 | September 20 z Foodsafe Level 1 | September 21 z Occupational First Aid Level 3 | September 27

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For more information on courses, please visit our website at cotr.bc.ca/ConEd or phone 250-423-4691

WATCH FOR MORE IN-PERSON COURSES COMING THIS FALL!

Health and Lifestyle

THIS IS LIFE

Go Play

by TYLA CHARBONNEAU Remember what it felt like to climb a tree with reckless abandon? To paint with no care of what others thought of your work? To sing at the top of your lungs like no one was listening? To lose yourself in a made up childhood game? As kids we were so good at playing. Really, it was all we wanted to do. I remember growing up in a small town knowing that that I needed to come inside when the streetlights turned on. Until then we would ride our bikes on the street and through the fields around our house, play hide and seek, cops and robbers, and any other game our little creative minds could come up with. It really was the best. Where does this go as we age? What gets in the way of the pure joy of just playing, being silly, and being in the present moment with our friends? As we have grown older, and taken on adult jobs, some of us have forgotten to make play a priority. To say “Yes” to a random adventure, to be reminded to set our phones and worries aside, and to indulge in a moment.

I am not entirely sure why we stop but I do know that the science is clear, play is really good for you. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play stated that our sense of play, how we play is very individual however we are all wired to do it, in fact we need it in order to develop skills, find joy, and improve our creative capacities.

We often think of play as adults in terms of what we do with kids, or in the sports we play but we also need to consider play just for ourselves. When was the last time you made something out of Lego, built a snowman, or had a water fight with other adults? Perhaps more importantly, can you remember how good these activities made you feel? This is because according

Submitted Photo to Brown when we play all the good endorphins are released in our brains which can lead to improved brain function.

Both of these also reduce stress in our lives. His research also suggests that play can positively impact our brain’s capacity for creativity, emotional intelligence, and improved competency in our work and leisure activities.

You may be thinking, “when do I have time for play with my work, family, friends, exercise?” I will be honest about this, “I do not have time” theory never really flies with me. Turn off Netflix and play a board game with your friend. Put the drink down and plan a scavenger hunt for you and your partner. Make dinner into a game where you break into teams to race through the grocery store to find

ingredients and then race to prep the meal. Eat that meal with spatulas and tongs instead of cutlery. Leaving a nerf gun at the front door after a long day with a note for your roommate to come find you and see if you have the same type of toy. Play does not have to be a massive project. It can be as simple as tuning up the music really loud and just dancing your heart out. Do not worry about looking silly, in fact embrace looking silly and remember how good it felt to just be in the moment and play with only one objective - to find pure joy in life.

The content provided in this article is for information purposes only. It is not meant as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you find yourself in distress, please reach out to your local physician who can provide mental health resources in your community.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Bits and Bytes

THE ANSWER GUY

PC Mover

by KEVIN MCISAAC

Recently I wrote about things to consider when purchasing a new laptop computer.

What I want to write about this month is how to migrate the settings, files, and applications from your old computer to your new computer.

Back in Windows 7 days, there was an application built into Windows that let you connect to another computer and migrate.

That application was privatized and taken over by LapLink.You now have to pay a fee for the same functionality. That isn’t great, but if you’ve ever tried to migrate from one computer to another over your local network or using an external drive, you’re probably eager to pay a small fee

Make sure you create an identical user with the same name on the new computer, so PCMover knows to move your user settings to there. If it doesn’t exist, PCMover will create a new one.

and have that process automated.

PCMover is an application from LapLink.

There are a few versions, but the best one to get is PCMover Professional, available at Staples. It usually costs $49.99, but it is regularly on sale for $39.99.

As always, before you start, make sure you have a backup of your files.

In order to transfer files, you’ll need to install PCMover on both the old and new computers.

Both computers should be connected to your network, either with ethernet cable or WiFi. On both computers, you should disable any virus scanner, backup software, or firewall you have running.

Close all other applications.

Make sure you disable any screensavers or power-saving options. It’s important that the computer doesn’t shut down in the middle of the transfer. PC Mover does remind you of all this before you start.

Starting with the old computer, choose PC to PC Transfer.

Then choose the WiFi or Wired option.

Now PCMover will scan your computer (this will take a while).

I skipped the email notification.

Now on the new computer.

Choose PC to PC Transfer again.

Choose New Computer and WiFi or Wired Transfer.

You should get a screen now with the name of the old computer, but if you don’t you can enter the IP address of the old computer.

Now it’ll scan the new computer.

Once ready you have two choices: Standard or Advanced Transfer.

Most people can use Standard and if you need Advanced you probably know why.

the fernie academy RESPECT, EXCELLENCE, LEARNING

One thing you can check under Advanced is which applications will be moved. Noncompatible applications will not be moved.

They will be marked red.

If you have multiple users you want to move, you can use the User tab in the Advanced Transfer to pick which users to move.

Once you’ve done that hit Next and watch PCMover create a configuration. It’ll tell you how much data it will move and approximately how long it will take. Don’t be surprised if the time is many hours. I recommend, if you can, starting this before bed.

Once the transfer is complete you should have all your old user settings, files, and applications on your new computer.

Kindergarten to grAde 12, consider the Academy.

Call to book a tour!

250.423.0212

Located in the heart of historic downtown Fernie BC this Ministry of Education recognized independent school offers a full complement of high standard academic programming combined with a focus on athletics and the arts. Hosting students from Kindergarten through Grade 12,The Fernie Academy focuses on individual students preparing them for the challenges of today’s demanding world.

To book a tour please call: 250-423-0212 451 2nd Avenue, Fernie B.C. CONTACT OUR PRINCIPAL Jocelyn Sombrowski: info@thefernieacademy.ca

Majic, Purdy Law Corporation

Trusted Legal Advice for over 30 years George S. Majic, Q.C. (d. 2003) • Glen A. Purdy, Q.C Caeli H. MacPherson, JD Interior and Exterior Renovations Residential Concrete Property and Facility Maintenance

Daniel Wells

250.430.7711 www.wellswood.ca

Providing a full range of legal services, including:

Real Estate, Personal Injury, Civil Litigation, Criminal Defence, Family Law, Business and Corporate, Wills and Estates Fernie Office 592-2nd Avenue P.O. Box 369 Fernie, B.C. V0B 1M0 T: (250) 423-4497 F: (250) 423-6714

www.majicpurdy.com

Sparwood Office (By Appointment Only) 119 Centennial Square Sparwood, B.C. T: (250) 425-7216 F: (250) 425-0400

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Bits and Bytes

ASTROLOGY

August 2021

by ASHLEY KRISTINA Sovereign Communication is the theme of August and this includes loving communication over very difficult topics.

It’s a time where identity, sense of self, and boundaries of self are pertinent.

The Sun travels: Leo —> Virgo 08/23.

Mercury: Leo —> Virgo 08/12. Venus: Virgo—> Libra 08/17 and Mars travels through Virgo all month.

Leo energy is the shining self. It is the great ball of fire energy that is the ego, full of pride. Leo is ruled by the Lion and by the Sun. It’s how we show ourself and it comes from the heart.

Virgo energy is practical, analytical, critical.

Virgo is a mutable earth energy that is

ruled by Mercury and Venus. The symbol for Virgo is the maiden, or the Virgin. ie The Virgin Mary -which is such a huge theme at this time.

Major themes of the past are being “moved” energetically. It’s a time of cleansing and the truth rising to the surface.

August 8 (09h) is the New Moon, where the Sun and Moon sit at 16º Leo. The Sabian Symbol for this energy is: the storm has ended and all of nature rejoices in brilliant sunshine -it’s the surge of life and love after a major crisis, a very purehearted time full of spiritual blessings.

August 22 (06h) is The Sturgeon Full

Moon and it is intense as the Sun and Moon sit at the critical degrees of 29º Leo and 29º Aquarius, respectively. The theme here is rebirth, with symbols such as the emerging butterfly or the rising phoenix.

Aries The fire of Leo’s sun has extra influence on you. Communication is the major theme but make sure not to yell, but also, yell when you have to. It’s a time to stand strong in truth.

Taurus Leo Sun warms up your life and energy bringing a fun and loving month for you.

It’s a time to rejoice so spend the time following your heart. September will give plenty of time for everything practical.

Gemini

PAY BY DEBIT AUGUST 2021 RECIPIENT

AND THE WILL DONATE 4 CENTS PER LITRE PURCHASED

Possibly the best month of the year for you: it’s fun, joyful and meant to be spent shining in the sun, under the sun and with the sun. A time of resurrection.

Cancer

The Fernie & District Historical Society is a charitable organization that has been a keeper of Fernie's history since 1964.

Each month, Gary and Lila Tomlinson of the Fernie Cardlock select a community charity or fundraiser to donate 4 cents per litre of all fuel purchased using a debit card as payment.

Fernie Cardlock: 250-423-7205 or 250-430-1299

Premium off road gasoline • Regular gasoline • Diesel • Marked Diesel www.ferniecardlock.com 250.423.7205 • 1592-9th Ave., Fernie

Today, the Society operates the Fernie Museum in addition to managing the community's extensive historical collection and providing various entertainment, education, programs and events for the public.

24/7/365

A happy time, and also a time to clear up any miscommunication that occurred with the last Mercury retrograde (June). Follow your heart and speak from your heart and you will always feel good.

Leo This summer is a great summer with major Leo-dominated charts. July brought a lot of Leo-energy as Mercury,Venus and Mars travelled in Leo and August continues this energy. Bask in it as it sure feels good!

Virgo The planets align throughout August and September to be very supportive to your energy. As stated, it’s a cleansing time on

earth and this includes the personal, and the greater scale. With the cleanse comes rejuvenation. Take time this August to vacate your duties and enjoy.

Libra An energizing month full of life-force energy. Boundary of self vs other do not exist in the heart space, as in this space, we understand unity. This is a summer of unity and discovery of new aspects. As planets move into Libra towards the end of the month, a new balance is achieved.

Scorpio You see, hear, intuit more than many. It is a time where all that is kept underground is rising, and this includes themes around death, sex, occult knowledge, debts and inheritances. As long as your heart is pure, you are golden.

Sagittarius A jovial month for you to enjoy the sunshine and relax like a lazin’ Lion.

Genuine communication occurs with humility and time spent in meditation.

Explore new arenas of life.

Capricorn Pluto, the planet that rules Scorpio, travels retrograde through the later degrees of Capricorn, marking an intensity that would be affecting your energy. Saturn, your ruling planet, travels retrograde through Aquarius. It’s a time of inward, rewind, review, for you.

Aquarius The sun travels through your opposite sign of Leo, allowing for a balancing energy. The full moon will be quite intense for Leos and Aquarians. How does this manifest in your life?

Pisces Neptune, your ruling planet, travels retrograde at 22º Pisces all month. A great theme is occurring on Earth and not many can see through this veil. The Sabian Symbol for 22º Pisces: a prophet bringing down the new law from the mountain.

5 1 0 4 62

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7 6 9 5 30 87 7 2 1356918 4382 GPI Chartered Professional Accountants in Fernie offers a full range of accounting and taxation services for the communities of Fernie, Elkford, Sparwood, throughout the Elk Valley and beyond for a wide variety of business and personal customers.

602 2nd Avenue Fernie, BC 250-423-6881 fernieaccountant.com FERNIEFIX.COM

43

Bits and Bytes

THROUGH THE LENS

Whimsy, Through Your Lens Photo by Collateral Photography, Spencer Robertson

Photo by Anita Braconnier

When young Jamie visited Fernie with his Dad he had a few must-see items on his bucket list - waterfalls and caves. Mount Bisaro cave didn’t disappoint: ladders to climb and sheer drops to navigate, ending at the giant mouth of the cave. All that was left to do was strap on headlamps and get in to explore.

I work at the Rocky Mountain Village as part of the rec/rehab team and we are so happy that we can now take residents out for bike rides. It’s such a great program and we are lucky to have the opportunity to be able to do this with and for our seniors. When I saw that the August theme was whimsy, I felt that this picture of bike pilot Mel Wigglesworth, the founder of Cycling Without Age fit as it’s so liberating showing the freedom of bike riding and sightseeing around this beautiful place we live in now that our world is slowly opening up again.

Bits and Bytes

S OCIA L PAGE

Out in the Community: Q. What recommendation can you give our readers on how to add some whimsy to their life this August?

Jacqueline Arling As I floated the Elk River, I was surprised by how many folks found quiet beach spots along the river. As the heat wave continues, take some time to find your own secret spot to put your lawn chair in and wiggle your toes in the refreshing water. Here is the one Arrow and I found the other day!

Andrew Gulyas Take a sabbatical and move to Costa Rica! SD5 has a program that allows teachers to take a year off and their job is guaranteed when they return. Our two little girls will be home schooled by two local awesome teacher parents. PE will be in the waves and climbing volcanos, reading will be on the beach, Spanish will be practiced and stewardship will be helping baby sea turtles get into the Ocean.

FYI Have you heard?! The popular Wednesday Socials are BACK starting August 4 and running until September 1! While the Arts Station is still working on the lineup, excitement is in the air as we’ve all missed the live music, food trucks, refreshment gardens, kids’ activity tent, and general positive Fernie summer vibes! See you there! theartsstation.com

It’s been a recordbreaking summer of hot weather, which has kept BC Wildfire Service extremely busy providing news, updates and prevention tips on their social media pages @BCForestFireInfo. Stay informed on Wildfires of Note, visit the BC Wildfire Dashboard, and learn what you can do to prevent wildfires and more at gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfirestatus and remember to call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cell to report a wildfire.

The City of Fernie’s Annual Municipal Report is now available for the public’s review and comment. Take the time to go through this important document and provide your feedback online at letstalk. fernie.ca or via email at letstalk@fernie. ca with the subject line “2020 Annual Municipal Report.

Speaking of music, who had the chance to attend one of Shred Kelly’s Tiny Concert Series events this July? If not, make sure to check out their album Like a Rising Sun and their newest video for “Roman Candle Eyes” shot locally in Fernie, BC! Not only is this video unique, it packs a lot of laughs maybe even a little emotion for those parents out there! Visit shredkelly.com for details and a big congratulations to Shred Kelly for being nominated for Artist of the Year at the 2021 Western Canadian Music Awards! We are so proud of you!

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Fernie Fun

THE LAST PAGE

Spot the Difference

FIND THE

Can you find five differences between these two pictures?

Have a picture to submit for Fernie Fun? Send it to info@clarismedia.com.

Somewhere in this issue are some lettuce leaves. Can you find them?

Name these Activities/ Locations These activities/ locations are located somewhere in Fernie, can you name them?

Answers Last Month

Station Square barricade, Train bridge, Rotary Park washroom, Rotary Park train

Taking Communities Further As Canada’s largest diversified resource company, our mines produce more than just minerals.

They provide the materials that are essential to communities around the world.

From your bicycle to your vehicle, your local hospital to your home, our products are found in everything that make modern life possible.

To learn more, visit www.teck.com

Escape into Nature

Summer is here so we invite you to join us for some well deserved R&R in our little piece of paradise!

Monday Date Nights - All Summer.

Includes: 1 appetizer to share, 2 entrées, 1 dessert to share and a glass each of either red, white or bubbles - $109 per couple

You Deserve this Spa Package! A LITTLE LUXURY: Lie down,

Wine Tasting Wednesday - All Summer.

Stay with us - We all need a break from the routines of life these days. From our Mountain Romance to Hiking and Dining, we have accommodation packages to suit all needs.

A creative and locally inspired tasting menu with wine! Really...is there anything better?

- $99 per person

relax and revel in comfort with a custom 60-minute massage, a nourishing scalp massage and foot scrub & moisture treatment with lovely SOCO Soaps and Healing Hollow products. $170/1.5 hours

Avoid disappointment - Check our website for restaurant hours, menus and all other info.

Call for Tamarack Dining Room and Spa reservations.

islandlakelodge.com

1.250.423.3700 Follow: @islandlakelodge