Fernie Fix August 2018

AUGUST 2018 | ISSUE 140

THE MUSIC ISSUE

Chantel Vincent takes us through a Multi-Sensory Experience at Wapiti.

Sadie Rosgen and Sage McBride collaborate on what “Small Mountain Town” means to them.

Kerri Wall on connecting with your teen through a mutual appreciation of music.

Feature Resident Troy Cook on the importance of creating, through music and art.

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CONNECTING BUSINESS OWNERS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS TO CREATE STABLE HOUSING AND WORKFORCE. Find out more at www.ferniehousingconnector.ca

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MEET SOME MEMBERS Shelley Wedderburn represents the residents of Michel Creek Road and the GN road. This initiative is important to her as sustainability is critical to ensuring that the communities in the Elk Valley and the Crowsnest Pass remain vital and continue to prosper.

Sharon Strom, Coordinator Sustainability for the Social Responsibility department, represents Teck. Sharon appreciates the importance of the communities remaining strong and sustainable for the future of the next generations.

www.evcnpvoice.com

Janice Talarico, who represented Interior Health for the past several years, looks at healthcare services with a community development approach. She has handed her role on the committee to another healthcare representative. Janice’s contributions are much appreciated.

Sign up for the newsletter for more information.

EDITOR’S FIX | 5 MUSIC ISSUE SPECIAL FEATURE | 7 A Multi-Sensory Experience by Chantel Vincent

BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY | 9 Business News/New Business Making Social Media Work: Five Tips for Non-Creatives

by Christina Pilarski Money Matters: Executors by Gerald Price, CPA, CA

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT | 16 Feature Artist – Chris Coole ArtBeat: Thank You For the Music by Michael Hepher At Peace and Yet On Fire – “Small Mountain Town”

by Sadie Rosgen with Sage McBride Rental Fix – The Greatest Showman by Andrew Vallance

COMMUNITY AND EVENTS | 24 Feature Resident – Troy Cook Planning Ahead: Music Makes the Parenting Mark

by Kerri Wall Family Stoke – Soundtrack to a Life by Shelby Cain Inside and Out with Rebecca Hall – The Music Makers

RECREATION AND OUTDOOR LIFE | 35 Time to Solitude by Mel Makepeace – “Stayin’ Alive” Two Trails Diverged in a Wood by Jeff Colden - The Trails of Island Lake Never Have I Ever – Wine Tours and the Little Things

by Jesse Bell Hitting the Trails: Get in the Flow with Contra

by Julie Kelly, FTA

HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE | 43 The Magic of Compost – Your Community, Your Impact

by Ashley Taylor For The Love of Food by Katie Hamar – BBQ Pairings The Find – Hit Makers by Crys Stewart Food Intelligence – The Ketogenic Diet

by Tiffany Schebesch, RD, BASc

BITS AND BYTES | 51 The Answer Guy – An Apple iPhone a Day

by Kevin McIsaac Astrology with Yann Loranger

FERNIE FUN | 54 Fix Trivia COVER: “Do you even Wapiti, bro?”

Photo by Kyle Hamilton, Kylehamiltonphotography.com THIS PAGE: Music is in the Air. Photo by Gabriela Escobar Ari, Gaesari.com

AUGUST 2018 ISSUE 140

THE MUSIC ISSUE

Mountain Estate 9948 STEPHENSON RD, FERNIE BC

Carol Cohen www.fernieresortrealestate.com

$2,200,000.00

EDITOR’S FIX

The day before, we had an impromptu dance session while making dinner.

because as Plato so eloquently put it, it brings life to everything.

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. ~ Plato

We all have our own playlists, a current favourite song, a first song we loved, a song that makes us want to get up and move, a song that takes our breath away.

We are grateful every day for music. And this issue is here to celebrate all that it brings to each of us individually, and to all of us as a whole.

Each week, we hit the Wednesday Concert Series. When Shred Kelly is in town, it’s a priority and our girls idolize Sage like none other. “When’s Wapiti?” is a question we After leaving the lake this weekend, my girls answer often. and I cruise home listening to the Beatles.

I can see their little sun bleached blonde Music connects us. It can turn a mood on heads in the rearview mirror, bopping along its head. It can hold a memory and bring us to the beat. Hear their sweet voices singing back in time within an instant. It can help what they believe to be the right lyrics to us to process emotions, energizes and helps “All My Loving.” We seem to giggle at the us empathise. same times, sharing in this moment that is pure magic. And because of music, we have The beauty of it is that it goes far beyond our family. It bridges generations, these moments regularly. communities, countries, ethnicities, Yesterday, my eldest created a song and held interests… it has existed in every known a concert on stage at the cabin. culture including the most isolated groups

Wapiti and Shred Kelly? Those blondies’ minds are about to be blown, we’ll see you there.

I

think Plato and I would have gotten along. I mean, we just seem to see things the same way. Especially when it comes to music.

Krista Turcasso, Editor 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 www.clarismedia.com Editor | Krista Turcasso Creative Director | Vanessa Croome Associate Editor | Kevin McIsaac Associate Editor | Carolyn Nikodym All content copyright Claris Media. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publisher.

CONTRIBUTORS ANDREW VALLANCE is a cinophile nerd who currently lives on the west coast.

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

ASHLEY TAYLOR grew up in the mountains of the Elk Valley. To give back she has put her passion for all things green into her new business focused on composting and growing luscious organic food. Check out Valley Vitals on Facebook.

CHANTEL VINCENT is the owner of Freyja Lifestyle Fashion. She is also the Artistic Director of Wapiti Music Festival. Fernie is her passion... and Chardonnay.

CHRISTINE PILARSKI of CIPR Communications believes in the power of meaningful relationships and strategic engagement, both on and offline.

After a 35-years in publishing, CRYS STEWART enjoys road trips with her husband between Fernie and Ontario. When not writing, taking photographs or riding shotgun, she’s sharing a glass of red with family and friends.

GERALD PRICE of GPI Chartered Profesional Accountants has experience in preparing audit, review and notice to reader financial statements and corporate, personal, estates and trust income tax returns. Gerald enjoys skiing, water skiing, trapshooting and riding motorcycles.

JEFF COLDEN is expanding his horizons all the time, always looking for the next adventure in wine, photography and the great outdoors.

JESSE BELL takes a quick vacay to wine country, has laugh attacks at tastings, discovers the significance of a song from the 90s, and returns full-hearted. She wants to remind you there’s some great new wine at Wapiti this year!

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

KATIE HAMAR grew up in the Maritimes and has lived in Fernie for the past five years. She is a self-professed foodie, wine lover and works as the Sales and Event Coordinator at Island Lake Lodge.

KERRI WALL specializes in group facilitation, mediation, parent coaching, and leadership training. She welcomes inquiries at kerriwall.ca.

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

MELISSA MAKEPEACE is the owner of Mountain Addicts - Guiding and Instruction, and an ACMG Top Rope Climbing Instructor and Apprentice Ski Guide. Her bucket list climb is the Split Pillar on the Grand Wall of the Squamish Chief.

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

REBECCA HALL is making the most of summer attending as many events as possible and enjoying the occasional Base Camp Pale Ale. SHELBY CAIN has lived in the East Kootenays most of her life. She’s a full-time writer and musician in the roots band, Wild Honey. Shelby’s first novel, Mountain Girl, is available at a book store near you. Her second novel? Any day now…

TIFFANY SCHEBESCH is a registered dietitian and owner of Peak Nutrition Consulting where she helps clients create lasting changes towards their nutrition goals.

YANN LORANGER from Happy-Culture Inc. is your resource for Astrology, Tarot and Apitherapy and offers courses at the College of the Rockies in Fernie.

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1191 7th Ave, Fernie, B.C. Phone: 250.423.7764

MUSIC ISSUE SPECIAL FEATURE

A Multi-Sensory Experience

by CHANTEL VINCENT

W

hen you hear “mountain town,” arts and culture isn’t normally the first thing that comes to mind. Over the last eight years, the Wapiti team has been a beacon for another dimension to our community. Wapiti set out to bring great music to the people. And what evolved from that simple concept, was a multi-sensory experience that has gained loyal fans and welcomed newcomers every year.

The Wapiti music festival experience is a joyride for the senses. Here are five hot tips to wow all five senses and get the best use out of the “mind blown” emoji.

Hear. Performance and production. The party is not in the beer tent. The party is happening in front of the stage. Take in the exceptional talent and technical production together as one. It’s a beautiful coming together just like a Naramata pinot noir and a goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin. Trust the lineup and plan to discover new music.

Wapiti brings the community together and for one weekend we are one big music family, all of us. Every person is welcome.

Touch. Reusable cups. Help us go green by purchasing a reusable beer or wine vessel.

Get your hands on them. We try to be as green as we can at Wapiti. Join the green movement by purchasing a reusable wine or beer cup. For wine snobs the wine cups are double walled. See, we think of everything!

KYLE HAMILTON PHOTO KYLE HAMILTON PHOTO

Okanagan and tasting the wine that would pair best with our fest. Dirty Laundry Vineyards from Summerland BC for the win! Expect a rosé, a sauvignon blanc, and a merlot. #roseallday #havesomesav

KYLE HAMILTON PHOTO

Smell. Food. As you weave through our forested Vendor Village the smell of food will stop you dead in your tracks.You’ll close your eyes and devise a plan to buy whatever took you to heaven for that brilliant half second. Plan for at least one meal, but bring enough cash for two just in case. New this year you can take your beer and wine into the Vendor Village to truly take in the nuances of the food and beverage pairings you pick. Note, we will never judge you for Instagramming your food.

KYLE HAMILTON PHOTO

Sight. Breakfast jam! See something no other festival will have… ever. New this year Wapiti presents a morning jam session at 10am Saturday in the beer tent. Special guests from the weekend’s lineup will engage in a one hour must see jam sesh.

Free for ticket holders.

Taste. Beer and wine. We upped our wine game this year by actually travelling to the

CHANTEL VINCENT PHOTO

Lastly, I’ll just mention that in the extrasensory department, the good vibes flowing through this place is like no other.

Wapiti brings the community together and for one weekend we are one big music family, all of us. Every person is welcome.

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Kodiak Lounge

“Fernie starts here!” check out the new bbq grill on the patio! fernie’s organic beer house best drink prices all season long! biggest deck in town!

Hours: 7 days a week 4pm till late www.ragingelk.com 892 6th Avenue, Fernie BC ph: 250-423-6811

Business in the Valley

BUSINESS NEWS

Fernie Pizza and Pasta 1221 7th Ave 250-423-4231

C

onveniently located along Highway 3, Fernie Pizza and Pasta is known for its pizza, pasta, BBQ chicken and ribs, and surprising ‘extras’ including samosas, donairs, curry, and calzones which they have been serving to the Fernie community and visitors for the last four years. To add to V. CROOME PHOTO their already popular takeout service, owners Tej and Nina Sran recently added dining in as an option for customers with room for up to 45 guests. Alongside this addition, they now have a liquor license which allows diners to enjoy refreshments with their meal.

Open seven days a week, Fernie Pizza and Pasta opens at noon for lunch Wednesday through Sunday for the summer season and at 4pm for dinner. They are open until 10pm weekdays, and 11:30pm Friday and Saturday.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Fernie Women’s Centre Ferniewomenscentre.com

Terry Fox Foundation Terryfoxrun.org

T

his September 16, the 38th annual Terry Fox Run is taking place in Fernie! A grassroots, volunteer-led, noncompetitive event that is family oriented, the organisation is currently seeking a new Run Organiser to chair the Fernie event. Since 1998, SUBMITTED PHOTO Fernie has contributed over $29,000 to cancer research. If you are interested in this event, are enthusiastic, organised, and possess leadership skills, and want to make a difference, they encourage you to contact them to join their mission to, “change lives for the better every day.”

T

he Fernie Women’s Resource Centre’s Stopping the Violence service provides free counselling and outreach services to women in the Elk Valley.

New this fall, they will be offering a walking group, encouraging women to explore the outdoor spaces in and around Fernie. The group hopes to help women make connections with others who enjoy walking, and there will also be opportunities to develop skills in how to use nature as a resource for emotional healing.

The walking group will take place on Wednesdays from 1-3pm, starting August 29. Please call 250-423-4687 to register, or stop by the office at 1592 10th Ave.

The Terry Fox Foundation will work closely with the volunteer chair and provide support, training and materials to ensure the success of this year’s run. Contact donna.white@terryfoxrun.org, 1-888-836-9786 for more information.

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Business in the Valley

NEW BUSINESS

Fernie BMX Racing

Y

KYLE HAMILTON PHOTO

Alpine Pathways Psychological Services

ou might not know it but BMX racing is for everyone, even YOU! The gym junkies, the parents who picked up a BMX in support of their teens, the five year olds on their striders, the girls breaking boundaries in women’s sport, the 50 plussers still going strong. BMX is about family, fun, camaraderie and self improvement.

RYAN SHULTZ PHOTO

alpinepathwayspsychology. com 250-423-8656

Fernie BMX racing is made up of a small group of BMX fans who want to bring BMX racing to Fernie. “We want to raise future Olympians, but we can’t do that without fostering a new BMX family. We are looking for people who would like to join us and get involved,” says Rebecca Vaughan.

D

Want to be a part of this team? From planners to grant writers to great communicators to those who want to get their hands dirty, there is literally something for everyone. Call Ryan Shultz at 250-423-0756 or send them a message on Facebook.

r. Tyla Charbonneau is a Registered Psychologist (BC2385) who recently returned to Fernie and opened a private practice. Tyla provides therapy for individuals, couples, and groups age 14 plus as well as psychological assessments.

She is passionate about the outdoors and researches the interactions of nature, therapy, and exercise. The office has a beautiful view of the forest and mountains, and for those who prefer to be up and moving Walk and Talk Therapy through the trails around Cokato is always an option.

Her approach is collaborative and informed

by Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness, and Narrative based practices.

Tyla also has a background in interprofessional education and is an advocate for healthcare professionals to work together to improve mental health in our communities. Additionally, she offers workshops for organisations that explore communication skills, team building and dynamics, or conflict. She can also customise a presentation to meet your company’s needs.

For more information please contact tyla@alpinepathwayspsychology.com.

Business in the Valley

NEW BUSINESS

Pickleball Fernie

A

lthough pickleball has been played indoors at the Community Centre during the winter months for the last few years there has not been an outdoor facility for summer play. Well, that has changed.

As of July 6 this year, with the support of City staff, Pickleball Fernie completed initial work on two new pickleball SUBMITTED PHOTO courts by converting the old basketball court at Max Turyk School. These courts are open to the public on a daily basis. Permanent nets have been installed and fund raising is underway to have the surface completely re-done as it is currently a little rough.

Any pickleball players in Fernie are invited to come out and play. An open house will be scheduled in the near future to introduce the sport to other residents who might be interested.

For further information, email the Club at pickleballfernie@gmail.com.

Shady Grove Bluegrass Festival

Brand New T Burmis Roof Top Tents

Foothillsbluegrass.com

Yeti Hard & Soft Coolers and a large variety of Drinkwear We are much more than a fly shop, come check out our gear for all your Fernie Adventures!

791 - 7 th Ave. • 250-423-7239

his August 17-19, Nanton is hosting a bluegrass festival alongside a weekend full of workshops. Supported by the Alberta Foundation of the Arts, the Foothills Bluegrass Music Society and Calgary Arts Development, the lineup includes the Lonesome Ace Stringband of which this month’s feature artist Chris Coole is a member of, The Blue Canyon Boys, Greg Blake Band, North Country, the Steve Fisher Band and more.

Workshops on Saturday and Sunday include Harmony Singing, Fiddling Around, Guitar Mania, Song Arrangement,Youth Workshops and numerous Open Stages.Visit their site for full details and information on tickets.

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Koocanusa

is calling... and I must go.

Open 9am - 9pm every day, all summer long!

Public Sandy Beach with Swimming Docks.

Full-service Store: groceries, fishing licenses, general supplies plus boat and vehicle gas.

Kitchen serving delicious All Day Breakfast Sandwiches, Burgers, Veggie Burgers & more!

12 Flavours of Hard Ice Cream and a large selection of novelties and treats.

Creating a brighter future together

FOR LEASE Commercial Land, Shop & Office Space 6393 Hwy 3, Fernie BC For more Information please contact our office: 250-423-2050

A whole other world to explore just a half hour drive from Fernie.

2354 Kikomun Road ~ KoocanusaCampsite.com

SERVICES Site prep, road building and excavating complex building sites.

AGGREGATES Consistent high quality products.

Manufactured from river bottom gravels.

CONTRACTING We value our role in the success of your project.

www.foothillssilva.com office@foothillssilva.com FERNIE, BC

OFFICE 250-423-2050 MICK’S CELL 250-423-1868

Business in the Valley

by CHRISTINA PILARSKI

M

usic sparks creativity. Every business strategy needs elements of the rightbrain to bring a corporate story to life. And, as someone who is a big fan of a wellformatted spreadsheet, I find the creative folks on my team invaluable. The ability to be creative is a gift – especially for those of us who would rather paint-by-number.

Recently CIPR’s Creative Lead, Courtenay Davidson, equipped our team with five creative tips for non-creative people. These tips can be used to create unique polish on your social media accounts, update your branding, and focus your marketing materials. ‘Not being creative’ cannot be an excuse for a poor execution of your business’ social media and communications program.

1. Take a walk Walk away from a project for a half hour (or a week) and come back refreshed. And if your timeline allows it, take as much time as you need to workshop your ideas. Being creative is a process – it is putting a true face to your corporate identity – it shouldn’t be a quick fix.

2. Be honest Don’t hold yourself accountable to unrealistic deadlines around your creative needs. Courtenay reminds me that her time is better spent shaking out the cobwebs than doing Buzzfeed quizzes about 90s’ boy bands. Speak up about creative block with your team and schedule some time to brainstorm together.

3. Cheat There are many amazing design resources available online. Need a new suite of social media layouts? Buy a bundle of Photoshop templates. Envato Elements is a subscription-based site that supplies you with unlimited downloads of well-designed, customizable templates for all the little

things. Save your creative genius for the more intensive projects like your brand and next marketing campaign. Using templates allows you to put your best foot forward on external facing communications, including your social media. When your brand looks polished it will get more attention.

4. Get Critiqued There are plenty of online places where you can get feedback from skilled designers.

Reddit Design Critiques (ruthless and so helpful), The Designers League (a Facebook group created specifically for getting feedback on your designs), The Graphic Design Forum (you can get critiqued and get technical help with your software here) are all available to you no matter your creative skill level.

5. Use Quality Photography Your content should be supplemented with beautiful photography. Even if hiring a photographer is not in your budget utilize free photo sites to supplement your content. A few of Courtenay’s favourites

are Unsplash, Pixabay, and Burst. They are free for commercial use without payment or credit to the photographer (although credit is appreciated) but be sure to read the copyright agreements and brush up on your understanding of “creative commons” before publishing. Also, make sure that the photo is relevant to your business and your story – just because a photo is beautiful does not mean it is right for your business.

Creative elements should be a key component of your social media strategy.

Photos and graphics should be used to tell stories, show your personality, and extend your brand awareness. Whether you consider yourself creative or not we are hoping these tips lead to some inspiration as you start to curate your online content for the rest of 2018.

Show us what you have been working on and share your own creative questions by tagging @CIPRComs on social media; I’ll make sure our Creative Lead sees your comments. Use the hashtags #PRPower and #FernieSuccess to extend your reach.

COAL TOWN 591 b 2nd Ave

Artwork: Merlijne Marell

Five Tips for NonCreatives

MAKING SOCIAL MEDIA WORK

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your next adventure starts here

STAGE 4

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www.montanefernie.ca This is not an offering for sale. Lots are sold under a disclosure statement. All maps are for relative location purposes only and are not to scale. All materials and photos, features, dimensions, specification, improvements and amenities depicted or described herein are conceptual in nature and subject to change or cancellation (in whole or in part) without notice.

Certain photographs may not have been taken at the site and views are not from a particular lot.

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Business in the Valley

Executors

to identify who actually wants some of the items we have and bequeath it to them or give it to them while you are still alive.

by GERALD PRICE, CPA, CA

M

y observations reveal most people choose a trusted family member or close friend to be the executor of their will. We choose an individual that we trust to carry out our final directions on what to do with our property after we pass on, but what do we do to ensure that they can complete the task with minimal effort on their part?

It is the executor’s job to complete the tasks outlined in the will. These usually include identifying and gathering all of the assets of the deceased, determining the liabilities, paying the liabilities off, closing or closing any automatic payments from their bank accounts, cancelling credit cards and closing charge accounts, protecting assets such as ensuring the heat is kept on in their vacant home, returning or safekeeping important documents such as passports, driver’s licenses, and birth certificates, filing and paying their income taxes, paying for their funeral, identifying the beneficiaries and finding where they reside, and ultimately distributing the property to those beneficiaries as the will instructs.

Here are some ideas on how you can make your executor’s tasks easier to complete.

My recommendation is to review these tasks annually so that the information is always relatively current and not more than a year out of date.

Make sure your executor knows where they can obtain a copy of the will.

Keep the names, addresses and phone numbers of your beneficiaries current.

Keep a folder or binder that contains a comprehensive list of your assets and liabilities. It should list and have the title for all the real property you own; a recent statement for each bank account, investment accounts for your RRIFs, RRSPs, TFSAs, cash or margin accounts,

MONEY MATTERS

STOCK PHOTO

with a contact name, number, and address for each; copies of life insurance policies; copies of share certificates of private corporation investments and publicly traded investments not held in brokerage accounts; list of valuables such as jewellery, art, coin, stamp or memorabilia collections with their costs and where they are; copies of a monthly or annual statement for your mortgages, various credit cards, lines of credit, charge accounts, private loans,; copies of the bills of sale or insurances for vehicles, boats, RVs, trailer etc. that must be registered; and information on any prepayment of funeral services.

Combinations or keys for safes, cash boxes, and safety deposit boxes need to be identified and available to your executor at your passing.

While the above list is extensive, depending on your situation there may be more information required. If you keep this current and in a known location, your executor’s task becomes less daunting.

A more recent issue that has emerged is what to do with your social media accounts. Do you want your executor to have access to your email, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Snapchat, Instagram, Google and other electronic accounts?

Keeping a list of what accounts you have and what you would like to happen to those accounts after your passing is important information to provide to your executor.

I doubt that any of us like to ponder our own demise. However, asking a trusted family member or friend to be our executor and then failing to provide easy access to required information would not be very nice to someone who has agreed to help us.

For more information please consult with your professional advisors.

The Best BANG for your Buck!

You should discuss your will with your executor so they have an opportunity to ask questions and clearly understand the directives in your will. If you change your will you should keep the executor informed of the changes so they are not surprised.

Consider talking to your beneficiaries and letting them know what you have bequeathed them. Occasionally we get it wrong. If you have a family heirloom that you assume all of your children would want a brief discussion may reveal that only one or possibly none of them want that item you hold so dear. It would be better

• Handmade bagels baked daily in house • Open 7am-5pm EVERYDAY • Voted ‘Best Quick Food Fix’ Fernie Fix Awards, 2015 502 2nd Avenue, Fernie BC 250-423-7778 www.bigbangbagels.com FERNIEFIX.COM

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Arts and Entertainment

FEATURE ARTIST

Chris Coole The first time I remember hearing a banjo, I was probably seven years old. My parents had a Neal Diamond album that had a song on it called “The Robert E. Lee.” It was the soundtrack for the movie The Jazz Singer. It was sort of schmaltzy in hindsight, but I would play that track over and over, transfixed by the twangy banjo riff. I grew up in the heart of Toronto, to a family with “urban” musical tastes, so in the following years, I didn’t often get a chance to hear (or ever see) any banjo players. Occasionally though, the banjo would have a brief fling with pop culture and I’d get hooked up – watching old reruns of the Andy Griffith Show; in the background of a Lightfoot song; “Deliverance.”This was before you could just type “banjo” into Google and have the thing laid out for you. Slowly though, I unravelled the mystery, mostly from haunting used record stores in my early teens. One day I found a cool looking record in the Grateful Dead section that had a cartoon picture of a bunch of wild looking hippy-cowboys playing music. I recognized the banjo picker as Jerry Garcia.The album was Old and in the Way. My first real bluegrass album!

When I was 17, I got a banjo for Christmas (I’d been playing guitar for three years prior). I started taking bluegrass banjo lessons from a guy named Chris Quinn (who is now one of my oldest friends) but eventually was attracted to an even older style of playing called “clawhammer” or “frailing” banjo. I met a lifelong working musician named Rick Fielding who gave me one lesson, then recognizing a kindredspirit, or perhaps a version of his younger self, took me under his wing and mentored me for my last couple years of high-school.

Now, I should be clear that with Rick “mentoring” meant giving me a place to go play banjo while I skipped school, lending me records and instruments, and giving me advice such as “you should probably learn to play bass so you have something to fall back on.”

When I got out of high-school I took a year off to “find myself.” Where I found myself was playing music in the Toronto subway system and on the streets. It was my first taste of making money by playing music, and I was hooked. I was a busker for

the next 12 years. During this time, I started playing bars, at festivals, and teaching, but busking was like my day-job, and it allowed me to be “full-time” which I’ve been ever since. Over the past 25 years, I’ve just been doing whatever needed to be done to make it work; playing solo and in bands such as The Foggy Hogtown Boys, The David Francey Band, and The Lonesome Ace Stringband; teaching and touring around the world; and recording lots of records (my own, and on other people’s).

Looking back, I know now that I was blessed with something very special, something more special than talent - singular passion.

I’ve known exactly what I wanted to do since I was 17, and never remember making a decision to do it, it just happened because it had to happen. It’s taken me a long time to appreciate how rare that is, and how lucky I’ve been to have it!

My other passion in life is fishing, which I’ve been doing as long as I can remember.

Somewhere around 2006, I sniffed out a sweet fishing tip. The person recommended

I go to a tributary of the Elk River (which will remain nameless), “put on a dry fly and start working upstream.” It was good advice.

I started coming to Fernie whenever I was touring out west and had a free couple days.

One day, while walking down 2nd Ave, I looked up and saw a storefront that said “Clawhammer Press.” That’s when I met Mike Hepher, and his wife Anie, who got me hooked up with a great crew of folks from the local music community and the Old Type Society. (They even put on a flyfishing/music weekend called “Gillbilly!”)

Fernie has become a home on the road for me and is one of my favourite places in the world to fish. In appreciation of this, I’ve released an album called Road to the River. All the profits from the album go to The Elk River Alliance. It’s available at Road2theriver.com and in local stores.

The Elk River Alliance is hosting a CD Release Party for Road to the River at Fernie Distillers August 15 with a performance by Chris. Tickets are available at the Elk River Alliance and Fernie Distillers for $20)

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Arts and Entertainment

ARTBEAT

Thank You For the Music

by MICHAEL HEPHER

T

he first time I spent a weekend in Fernie was in a February deep-freeze circa 2011. I was teaching a workshop in the basement of the old Fernie Bakery (now the Loaf). After the short Friday session, I suggested to my host that we try to find some live music. “Oh, there’ll be something,” he said with confidence.

The idea that one can just walk up the street and find some live music in a small town seemed a bit preposterous to me. I was living in a town that was difficult to get anyone out to any live, local music.

Some of us had been running an open mic night at a local pub for years, eventually it folded because we realized the only people showing up to listen were other musicians.

Despite lots of energy and lots of great music, there simply weren’t enough people attending to make it worthwhile.

By way of contrast, I recently spent a few days in Nashville, Tennessee. Even in November, the weather was balmy enough that all the doors were propped open at all the honky tonks, and from every door wafted the sounds of top-notch musicians laying it all on the line. I walked past one three-story tavern that had a different band playing on each floor all day, every day. While having that much live music around might be nice, I know most of the bands are playing for nothing more than the exposure. I’m told you have to go to Knoxville to get a paying gig.

What is it about live music that we love so much? With the advent of Spotify, we have any music we want at our fingertips. How is the live music experience different? My observation is that we love it because it’s an authentic, shared experience. We build connections with our friends by hearing something you simply can’t stream or download. The stage banter, the conjured

SUBMITTED PHOTO

magic, and the setting all enrich the moment. The very nature of live music is that you get more from the musicians because the band feeds off the crowd and the crowd feeds off the band and after the show everyone can turn to each other and say ‘That was awesome!’ A collective memory is formed.

You might not think that having a healthy live music scene is that big of a deal, but on that cold Friday night in 2011 when my host and I walked up 2nd Ave and found The Central at capacity, with a lineup outside at -20ºC for a local band (Shred Kelly if you must know), it was enough for me to wonder, ‘What is this town?’

The challenge in a small town is density: you have to have the right ratio of listeners to musicians. Not enough listeners and you get poor attendance and the musicians stay home. Too many musicians and nobody is willing to pay for the experience. In Fernie, we have a great balance with a dozen or so venues willing to pay for live music, a roster of talented performers, and plenty of locals and travellers willing to come listen. Wednesday Concert Series, Brickhouse Jams, Saturdays at The Fernie, Fridays at The Loaf: the result is that we are growing this community-wide set of memories that are helping us feel at home together no matter how long we’ve lived here or where we were born.

I think often about that night; without it, I would not have had the confidence or clear vision that this small mountain town could support a crazy idea like Clawhammer Press. Without it we would not have packed up our lives five months later and moved to Fernie, so yeah—it’s kind of a big deal to me at least. I wonder how many other stories like this are out there? Many of us have come because of the skiing or biking, but I suspect we stay because Fernie is so much more than a bunch of sloped trails. Thanks for all the shared memories!

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Arts and Entertainment

Small Mountain Town

Small Mountain Town

By Sadie Rosgen

By Sage McBride

Verse 1 In a small mountain town, I had found you around.

Slaying the slopes with some friends out of town.

You were all in my way, and I liked it all day, my heart skipped a beat when you started to play:

Verse 1 When the night falls I often walk the empty streets And watch as the mountains reveal the moon Then it’s quiet So I try to sit alone and think And morning would never come too soon When the store signs, Illuminate the night They remind me of the streets that led me here As I wander Past the closed store windows Footsteps, as the sunlight disappears

Chorus Your guitar had reflected, the tapes I ejected, from a time when I imagined your existence...

Buy now, you’re here with me *musical break*

“Small Mountain Town”

by SADIE ROSGEN WITH SAGE MCBRIDE

Working with Sage McBride of Shred Kelly fame for our music issue was a no brainer. She is creative, curious, and accomplished.

As Sage and I navigated our way through a few margaritas (gracias Nevados!), we talked shop about how to write lyrics: the poetry of music. Lyrics are the words that make up a song’s content, complete with multiple verses and a chorus which is repeated. Most often a bridge is present to offer the listener a short respite before the chorus repeats one last time. We both worked with “small mountain town” as our theme. Here’s what we dreamed up!

AT PEACE AND YET ON FIRE

Verse 2 We fell so deep in the snow burdened streets, breathing our love under flannel plaid sheets.

Here I had found my whole life in one town, with you by my side our own rules we’ll abide: Chorus Your guitar had reflected, the tapes I ejected, from a time when I imagined your existence...

But now, you’re here with me. *musical break* Verse 3 Now we’ll take a vow, Friends and family allowed.

Spreading our life with the cedars above.

In this valley we’ll live, With adventurous kids.

Teaching them why, this good life you can’t buy.

Bridge Breathe in this place.

Find your own space.

Breathe…

In… Repeat chorus

Chorus And why oh why oh why Did I ever think I could leave this town alone Oh why oh why oh why Mountain town you are my home Verse 2 All the workers On the nightshift of the mine Are kissing their families goodnight Then they travel To earn a living wage To dig on the coal dusted site While the travellers, All gather at the bar To share the stories of their youth and their past Not knowing That soon they’ll settle here And their journey here, will be their last Chorus And why oh why oh why Did I ever think I could leave this town alone Oh why oh why oh why Mountain town you are my home Bridge There’s something here That keeps me young, Years pass, just feel like weeks Now I’m older And everything has changed Except the sun that rises up above the peaks Quiet chorus And why oh why oh why Did I ever think I could leave this town alone And why oh why oh why Mountain town, you are my home Repeat Chorus

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Arts and Entertainment

The Greatest Showman

by ANDREW VALLANCE

Phineas Taylor Barnum was born in Connecticut on July 5, 1810. After a move to New York City, he ran the Barnum American Museum from 1841 to 1868.

The museum featured the “Feejee Mermaid,” that looked suspiciously like a monkey with a fish’s tail, “General Tom Thumb” and other oddities that appealed to the insatiable appetite of the American people for the shocking and absurd. In 1871 he launched a travelling show that would eventually become the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He is quoted as saying of himself, “I am a showman by profession… and all the gilding shall make nothing else of me.”

After a celebrated career as a showman, author, and sometime politician, he died in 1891. The circus survived him and finally closed in 2017.

In my opinion, the major problem with the film is that it doesn’t focus enough on the lives and adventures of the performers who worked in Barnum’s circus. In the end, we know nothing about who they loved, who their families were and what they dreamed of.

For example, General Tom Thumb (real name, Charles Sherwood Stratton) was born in 1838 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

He was the son of a carpenter, and his paternal and maternal grandmothers were allegedly small twin girls born 1781. He started touring with P.T. Barnum at the age of five. Interestingly, Barnum was his fifth cousin. In 1883, six months after surviving a house fire, Charles Stratton died of a stroke. Unfortunately, after such an interesting life, he is relegated in this film to the status of a glorified extra to Barnum.

Very disappointing!

THE RENTAL FIX

would have to be at least three hours long, directed

by Martin Scorcese, star Brendan Gleason as Barnum, be rated “R” and have fewer musical elements.

However, if what you are looking for is a fluffy musical with wonderful choreography and an exquisitely happy ending, then this is the film for you.You’ll come out of the theatre smiling.

One thumb up.

In order for the story of P.T. Barnum and his “freaks” to be done properly, the film

P.T. Barnum was a complex and highly problematic figure. However, The Greatest Showman, the latest film about the man’s life and times, directed by Michael Gracey and starring Hugh Jackman as Barnum, does not do the man justice.

The film, a bright and bouncy musical, seems to be more focused on telling the audience to follow their dreams than it is on providing us with actual information on this larger than life individual.

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The Greatest Showman portrays Barnum as a kind of show business saint, and a champion of the oppressed, which is by no means accurate.

In truth, he helped both General Tom Thumb and Cheng and Eng (the conjoined twins who helped popularise the term “Siamese Twins”) to start their careers in show business, but Barnum seems to have been a dyed in the wool capitalist, and profit was his primary goal.

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Community and Events

FEATURE RESIDENT

Troy Cook

by KRISTA TURCASSO

M

any of us were first exposed to Troy Cook through his multiple artistic murals found throughout the town of Fernie, at Rip N Richards (now the Bridge Bistro), Jamochas Coffee shop along the highway (now a residential home), in the Central Hotel Bar (now Himalayan Spice Bistro), and next to the Raging Elk Hostel. They were hard to miss, unlike anything else you had ever seen. So alive, colourful and captivating.

Around the time I first got to know Troy’s art, The Gathering was taking place at Island Lake Lodge - a small music festival still held dear in all who attended’s hearts.

I recently met with Troy to learn about his long involvement and commitment to Fernie’s music and art scene and was surprised (but not) to learn of his being a big part of this as well. It made me far more intrigued to learn just how Troy became the Big Bubba Cook we all know and love.

“I think I was about 13 or 14 when I got into music,” Troy tells me. “My buddy got a guitar and wanted me to play with him, so I picked up a bass. I’ve always been a big fan of music since I was a kid, collecting records from garage sales and such. It was my thing.”

Troy grew up in Fernie, and asks if I remember Album Alley. I don’t, but he so vividly describes it I feel like I do. “We used to live in there, there were so many records.You’d save up your money and buy 45s, it was cool.”

He admits that at the time it was tough to buy instruments in Fernie, and there weren’t any opportunities at school. So it was when he went to College that he really dove into music. “I got into writing songs and becoming a song writer, bought a B.C. Rich guitar and practiced and practiced.” Troy was in school for journalism, but ‘like a lot of us’ he had a

KYLE HAMILTON PHOTO

summer job at the mine and ended up staying longer than intended. “I became a miner by accident,” he says with a laugh.

Where Troy went, music happened. He started a trio called the Green Winos.

“We were kind of acoustic punk rock.

We toured across BC a couple of times.

Then we started getting to know people in the music scene, and would rent the Elks Hall and get music there.” Not long after, Jeff Samin who was with the Arts Station approached Troy for help with their own musical bookings. “I’ve been there twenty years now, booking the Concert Series,” he says.

Next the Rocky Mountain Festival took place which he helped with, and then Scott Schmidt and Keith Greeninger

approached Troy with a festival they were looking to host at Island Lake. “So we built The Gathering, created the Meadow for the stage, and people camped over the weekend. It was magical… Keith is such a soulful guy, and he brought soulful people with him. It rubbed off on us, we learned from him.”

The Gathering got ‘full on’ as Troy remembers, and sadly ended before many of us had the chance to experience it (sigh). But Troy’s musicality continued, convincing a friend who was nervous to join him and his brother to form Big Bubba Tres, which toured across Western Canada and still performs.

When a new festival was on the horizon in Fernie, of course Troy played a part.

He and his good friend Kevin McIsaac were ‘dreaming it up’ and Kevin got more people involved to make it happen. “I helped out more in the beginning, but now I’m a worker bee and help with the stage and MC.” While he loves being a part of it, and the music scene in general Troy is focusing on his visual art. “I want to get to the point where I can make a living at it,” he tells me. Recently diagnosed with Cancer, Troy dedicated himself to producing a piece of art every day which he posts on social media. “It’s my cancer gallery,” he tells me. “It’s how I’m coping.

It’s therapeutic. I’m raw all of the time, kind of like how honesty strikes you.You become way more present, the internal clock is reset and time slows down.”

Troy believes that art adds a dimension to a person, allowing them to share a part of themselves through a medium. He also feels as though it betters the community.

“Music and art drag people out,” he tells me. “It becomes part of what you do. The Wednesday Concert Series, Wapiti… it becomes more than about the music.”

Fred Nohels. We grew up together. Grade two! I don’t remember grade one much, but that’s a lasting friendship for sure.

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

Well growing up here it was a coal mining town, so it had hope. When something new came to town, you could see potential and cool things happened.

4. What keeps you here?

Well I mean the people and the beauty of the town, and it’s still a hopeful place. I couldn’t live anywhere else. There’s no way.

Unless I could afford to have two homes, as I always need to be here. Especially after what I’ve been through. It’s cemented me.

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

I love the fall. The colours, the leaves, the temperatures right for me. Wood chopping weather.

7. Where do you see or hope to see Fernie in five years? Oh I think a bit of growth but the continuation of what we’ve been seeing. Slow, thoughtful growth in all kinds of ways. I don’t long for much.

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

Well I usually get up and write or draw for about an hour, or play music. Have a bite to eat and go to work. Sometimes I work out when I’m not riddled with cancer.

5. Do you have a favourite Fernie memory or pastime?

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

Seeing the Rheostatics play on The Gathering stage. That was magic. I don’t think I could have blowed my mind better than that.

I collect Kentucky Fried Chicken memorabilia.

While Troy is being faced with one of the most intimidating moments of his life, he is showing his true colours and producing work reminiscent of what first drew us to him. And he has more in the works. While ‘creating a war chest of visual art’ is at the forefront, he also has albums to finish recording and art shows and music shows on the horizon. Like me I don’t think you’ll be too surprised to learn Whitney Houston is the inspiration behind at least one of his current projects…

10. Quote to live by: Face death, then walk back into life. Got it from Paul Dewar.

we take walk-ins.

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Thanks, Troy. For bringing music to our ears and brightening our days in Fernie.

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

I was born here in 1969, so birth brought me here. And I was born where the Pub is now. So when I’m in the Pub and people ask where I’m born, I say right here!

2. Who did you first meet in town?

My first friend that I can remember…

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Community and Events

Music Makes the Parenting Mark

“I heard this great song today,” then we would have something to talk about.

One time I was making supper when my teenage son walked in and said. “I have a new song I want to play; I think you’ll really like it.” As always I replied, “Great!

I’m all ears.” He started to search for it.

by KERRI WALL

W

hen your kids were small you barely needed to do anything beyond breathing to win their adoration. With teenagers, however, it sometimes seems the mere act of breathing itself can induce their scorn. But if you play your cards right while you have teens in the house, you may win back some of that adoration once they reach their twenties.

As we’ve discussed before, teenagers are biologically wired to separate themselves from their parents. It may happen gradually or come on intensely out of the blue.

When your teen asserts their goals and ideas are different than yours, you can be pleased because as difficult as it might feel, this change is a sign that normal development is taking place.

Teenagers often appear self-centred and that makes perfect sense. They are learning about themselves as individuals apart from their families. They could be consumed by impulses that come from deep inside that push them to explore what interests them, who they care about, what they want to spend time doing, and what matters most.

This likely means they are less drawn to family activities and doing the things with mom and dad they used to enjoy.

Remember it’s totally normal. At this time parents lose a lot of their ability to directly lead teens, but we have an opportunity to act as a guide on the side if we choose to accept this new mission.

Teenagers still need us, but they need us differently. Adults have to adapt. We want to show teens that we are thinking about them and that we care, but keep it warm and calm. If we feel worried and act controlling towards them this will cause disconnection and lessen our chances of being an influence.

PLANNING AHEAD

V. CROOME PHOTO

One useful strategy is to be curious about their musical tastes. Don’t interrogate because that would be weird and counterproductive. And don’t ignore it either, because music can offer an enlightening window into the mysterious soul of your adolescent.

Do you remember what songs and musicians were important to you when you were a teenager? Can you still feel a physical response when you hear that music from your youth? It’s a powerful reminder of who we once were and the things we found meaningful back then.

That’s probably how significant your teen’s music is to her or him now.

Let your teenager choose the tunes when you’re in the car together. Listen to what bands the kids are talking about and look them up on YouTube. Try dropping a line with your teen like, “To me, 21 Pilots sounds like a hybrid of Foster the People and Green Day,” and see what they say. Ask, “What three songs would you put on your Summer 2018 Soundtrack?”

Music was a valuable mechanism for connection when my son was a teen. I gave myself a policy (an internal decision known only to me) of being open to whatever he wanted to play, and he played me a lot of music. There were days when I couldn’t get much out of him when I asked how school went, but if he came home and announced,

At that instant, our teenage neighbour knocked on the door. She came in just as the first notes of Madonna’s “Material Girl” erupted from the speaker. I grinned and exclaimed, “Turn it up! I love this one!” and the three of us danced in the living room to a special song from my summer before high school. Our worlds collided in a beautiful way and sharing it with a friend from next door sweetened the moment.

Adults won’t get to be the cool ones very often, and we might have to play our favourite music in private, but this is a small price to pay for the bridge that your teen’s musical choices can build between the two of you.

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August 2018 MONTHLY EVENTS WEDNESDAY 1.8.2018 Artist Demonstration: Backroads BC @ Fernie Museum, 11am-2pm Wednesday Concert Series: Cassie and Maggie @ Station Square, 5:30pm THURSDAY 2.8.2018 Beautea Night @ Infinitea with Spa 901 and Essential Roots, 6-9pm Creative Writing Classes @ Infinitea, six week course. 6pm Major Funk @ The Royal, 9pm. Original Yukon Funk!

FRIDAY 3.8.2018 Friday socials with Jeff Steiert (J-Skillz) @ The Pub Shop Late Night @ Freya Lifestyle Fashion, 6pm SATURDAY 4.8.2018 Battle of the Border XCO Mountain Bike Race @ Ridgemont Trails Historic Walking Tour: Rum Runners @ Fernie Museum, 11am Historic Walking Tour: Fernie At War @ Fernie Museum, 1pm Historic Walking Tour: The 1908 Great Fires @ Fernie Museum, 4:30pm SUNDAY 5.8.2018 Battle of the Border XCO Mountain Bike Race @ Mount Fernie Provincial Park Specialty Hike - Birds and Wildlife @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 11am MONDAY 6.8.2018 Bella Cat and Malak Sound @ Infinitea, 8pm TUESDAY 7.8.2018 Studio Tech with the Fernie Potters’ Guild @ Fernie Arts Station, 7pm 2knee Race @ S-Bomb, 6:45pm at top.

WEDNESDAY 8.8.2018 Men’s Special @ Fernie Golf Club, 5pm Shotgun start. Four man team, Blind 9 Holes Wednesday Concert Series: The Northern Beauties @ Station Square, 5:30pm FRIDAY 10.8.2018 Wapiti Music Festival @ Annex Park SATURDAY 11.8.2018 Between the Border Cyclocross Camp @ The Guide’s Hut, led by Tom Gibson, Jena Greaser and Dylan Bailey.

Columbia Basin Cultural Tour 2018 @ Fernie Artist studios and galleries, self-guided tour CBculturetour.com Wapiti Music Festival @ Annex Park Doubles Tournament @ Fernie Golf Club, 1pm SUNDAY 12.8.2018 Between the Border Cyclocross Camp @ The Guide’s Hut, led by Tom Gibson, Jena Greaser and Dylan Bailey.

Columbia Basin Cultural Tour 2018 @ Fernie Artist studios and galleries, self-guided tour CBculturetour.com Bibbity Bobbity Boo Children’s Fest @ Rotary Park, 10am-2pm Fernie Show n’ Shine @ Downtown Fernie, 11am Perseid Meteor Shower and Mountain Top Camping @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4pm includes camping area, guided hike, dinner at Lost Boys, meteor shower programming and photography with Matt Kuhn. skifernie.com Jimmy Pearson Live @ Infinitea, 6pm MONDAY 13.8.2018 Air Aware Summer Camp @ Max Turyk School, 9am. Four days of hiking, dryland training, trampolining and more.

Little Critter Criterium @ Maiden Lake, 6pm Piper Hayes Live @ Infinitea, 8pm TUESDAY 14.8.2018 2knee Race @ Mushroom Head/Red Sonya, 6:45pm at top.

WEDNESDAY 15.8.2018 Road to the River CD Release Party @ Fernie Distillers, 8:30-10:30pm. Chris Coole plays a show and celebrates the release of his new album. Tickets are $20, available at Elk River Alliance and Fernie Distillers.

Hypnobirthing in Fernie @ 451 2nd Ave, 6:30pm NRS @ The Northern, 9pm Wednesday Concert Series: Lion Bear Fox @ Station Square, 5:30pm THURSDAY 16.8.2018 Rose-Erin Stokes Live @ Infinitea, 8pm FRIDAY 17.8.2018 Friday socials with Jeff Steiert (J-Skillz) @ The Pub John Michael Lind - the Burning Road Tour @ Infinitea, 8pm Sarah Beatty @ The Brickhouse, 8pm SATURDAY 18.8.2018 Club Championship @ Fernie Golf Club, 7am. Two round stroke play.

Trek Dirt Series Mountain Bike Camp @ The Guides Hut. Choose two days peddling in the valley, or two days using the lifts, or one day of each!

Beginner Paint Date with Sue Hanlon @ The Arts Station, 7pm. Theme is the Summer Daisy.

Welcome to the Moon @ Infinitea. A free travel movie screening & presentation 6pm SUNDAY 19.8.2018 Club Championship @ Fernie Golf Club, 7am. Two round stroke play.

Zulu Panda Live @ Infinitea, 6pm Specialty Hike - Berries and Other Useful Plants @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 11am. Skifernie.com

CHECK OUT THE FERNIE FIX EVENTS CALENDAR ONLINE AT FERNIEFIX.COM

Sunday Funday Timberside Bike Race @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4:30pm. A casual and fun downhill bike race modelled after the Thursday Night Race series.

TUESDAY 21.8.2018 2knee Race @ Hyper up/down/combined (TBC), 6:45pm at Hyper sign.

WEDNESDAY 22.8.2018 Wild Nature Tours: Cool Critters in our Clean Water @ Wildsight Fernie, 5:30pm Wednesday Concert Series: Deep Down Yonder @ Station Square, 5:30pm FRIDAY 24.8.2018 Fernie Junior Tennis Tournament @ James White Park, 10am.

Youth Talent Showcase 2018 @ The Arts Station, 6:30pm. Applications available at the Fernie Arts Station and Heart and Soul Theatre Collective.

Bobby Dove @ The Northern, 10am SATURDAY 25.8.2018 Kids Howl at the Moon Campout @ Fernie Alpine Resort, a slumber part at the top of the Timber Chair! Skifernie.com Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam @ Fernie Bike Park, 11am.

Novice to pro, this popular comp is back for all freestyle riders. bikefernie.ca The Price is “kinda” Right @ The Legion SUNDAY 26.8.2018 Tenise and Sophie Live @ Infinitea, 6pm WEDNESDAY 29.8.2018 Women’s Weekly Walking Group Begins @ Women’s Resource Centre, Wednesday 1-3pm Wednesday Concert Series: Freak Motif @ Station Square, 5:30pm THURSDAY 30.8.2018 Gallery Opening: Carol Cohen and Margaret Hinton @ The Arts Station, 7pm FRIDAY 31.8.2018 Friday socials with Jeff Steiert (J-Skillz) @ The Pub Leger Sisters Snow Muses Live @ Infinitea, 8pm SUNDAY 2.9.2018 Tears & Gears Duathlon @ The Aquatic Centre, 10am. Trail run and mountain bike race for all ages and levels.

Fernie Lions Demolition Derby @ Railway Ave, 12pm

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CONTACT INFO@CLARISMEDIA.COM TO SHARE YOUR EVENTS, BOTH ONLINE AND IN PRINT. IT’S FREE!

August 2018 WEEKLY EVENTS

DINING, NIGHTLIFE and SPECIALS MONDAYS Pair it up Appies @ Boston Pizza Pool Tourney Mondays @ The Pub Lasagna Specials @ Elk Valley Pizza Shoppe Wing Night @ The Fernie Hotel $6 meals @ Infinitea Ladies Night @ The Northern Local Jam Night @ The Kodiak Lounge Monday Mayhem with Goffles @ The Royal Store and Tasting Room Open @ Fernie Brewing Company Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Date Night Mondays @ Island Lake Lodge

Trivia Night @ The Fernie Hotel Wing Night @ The Northern Wax On Wednesday @ 901 Spa Store and Tasting Room Open @ Fernie Brewing Company Zak’s Jam Night @ The Royal Half Price Ice Bar @ Lizard Creek Lodge Ice Bar Tarot Readings @ Infinitea, 8pm Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Wednesday Concert Series @ Station Square, 5:30pm Wine Tasting Wednesdays @ Island Lake Lodge Half Price Ice Bar @ Cirque Restaurant

TUESDAYS Gourmet Pasta Specials @ Boston Pizza Wing Night @ The Pub Bar & Grill Pizza Night @ Elk Valley Pizza Shoppe Beer, Burger and Bingo Night @ The Northern Cheap Night @ The Vogue Theatre Karaoke @ The Royal Half Price Appetizers @ The Fernie Hotel Store and Tasting Room Open @ Fernie Brewing Company Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Pasta and Wine Night @ Cirque Restaurant

THURSDAYS Pizza Night @ Boston Pizza Jam Night @ The Brickhouse Cocktail Night @ Infinitea Featured Pub Burgers @ Max Restaurant & The Pub Bar & Grill Burger and Beer Special @ The Fernie Medium Pizza Special @ Elk Valley Pizza Store and Tasting Room Open @ Fernie Brewing Company Pub Team Trivia @ The Pub Bar & Grill Thirsty Thursdays @ Kodiak Lounge Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials

WEDNESDAYS Wings Night @ Boston Pizza Wine Evenings @ The Brickhouse

FRIDAYS Nacho Night @ Boston Pizza Fish & Chips @ The Pub Bar & Grill

OUTDOOR & FAMILY MONDAYS Dominoes, Duplicate and Mahjong @ The Seniors Drop in Centre Pickleball @ Fernie Community Centre Indoor Walking @ The Community Centre Ladies Only @ Fernie Old School Boxing Parent Tot Funtimes @ Fernie Family Centre Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Drop-In @ Elk Valley Gymnastics, 11-12pm for ages 0-4 TUESDAYS Crib/Whist, Chess and Drop In @ Seniors Drop in Centre Storytime Ages 3-5 @ Heritage Library Ladies Archery @ The Elks Hall Junior Boxing @ Fernie Old School Boxing Club Indoor Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre Open Climbing @ Evolution English Conversation Cafe @ CBAL Office Drop in Climbing @ College of the Rockies Fernie Community Choir @ The Fernie Arts Station Free Guided Meditation @ Soar Studios Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Summer Reading Camp @ Fernie Heritage Library, 1-3pm.

Drop in ages 7+ Two-knee Mtn Bike Race Series @ Bikefernie.ca Ladies Night @ Fernie Golf Club WEDNESDAYS Crib, Gentle Exercise and Tai Chi @ Seniors Drop in Centre Adult Badminton @ The Community Centre AA Meetings @ The Anglican Church Basement

Seniors Programming

Kids Programming

Competitive Boxing @ Fernie Old School Boxing Club Toddlertime Ages 0-2 @ Fernie Heritage Library Indoor Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre Open Climbing @ Evolution English Conversation Cafe @ CBAL office Celebrate Recovery @ Mountainside Church Knit Clique @ Fernie Heritage Library Drop-In @ Elk Valley Gymnastics, 11-12pm for ages 0-4 Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Wine and Wheel @ The Arts Station Latin Vibes: Rhumba @ The Arts Station Summer Reading Camp @ Fernie Heritage Library, 1-3pm.

Drop in ages 7+ Fernie Women on Wheels Ride @ Bike Park, 6:30pm Ladies Night @ Fernie Golf Club THURSDAYS Morning Yoga, Drop in, and Canasta/Cards @ Senior’s Centre Pickleball @ Fernie Community Centre RC Club @ Fernie Community Centre Community Basketball @ Fernie Secondary School Mixed Senior Recreational Boxing @ Fernie Old School Boxing Youth Archery @ The Elks Hall Bellies to Babies @ Fernie Women’s Centre Open Roller Skating @ Max Turyk Gym Indoor Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, Free Guided Meditation @ Soar Studios Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Summer Reading Camp @ Fernie Heritage Library, 1-3pm.

Drop in ages 7+

Meat Draw and Members Draw @ The Fernie Hotel Date Night Special @ Spa 901 Fish & Chip Night @ The Pub Live Music @ Loaf, 6-9pm Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Live music @ Infinitea SATURDAYS Kids Pool Party, BBQ and Movie Night @ Lizard Creek Lodge Meat Draw & Bar Quiz @ The Legion Coffee and Baileys Special @ The Bridge Bistro Pint Night with Overtime Beer Works @ Infinitea Rib Night @ Max Restaurant and The Pub Open Mic Night @ Fernie Hotel Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials SUNDAYS Half Price Cocktails @ Cirque Restaurant Kids Specials @ Boston Pizza Caesars on Special @ The Brickhouse All day breakfast @ The Fernie $10 BBQ and Beats @ Infinitea Off the Grill Sundays and Caesar Specials @ The Pub Caesars Special @ The Bridge Bistro Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Mountain Market @ Rotary Park, 10am

Swim

Bike

Library Program

Other

Weekly Trail Maintenance Night @ Bike Park Little Sprouts @ Fernie Ecogarden, 9:30-11:30am Throwdown Thursdays Mtn Bike Race Series @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 7pm FRIDAYS Cribbage @ Seniors Drop in Centre Jitney Darts @ Fernie Legion Toddlertime Ages 0-2 @ Fernie Heritage Library Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Summer Reading Camp @ Fernie Heritage Library, 1-3pm.

Drop in ages 7+ Fernie Women on Wheels Ride @ Bike Park, 9:30am SATURDAYS Karma Meditation Class @ Essential Yoga Studio Open Climbing @ Evolution Prenatal Yoga @ Essential Yoga Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Heritage Walking Tours @ Fernie Museum at 11am, 1pm and 3pm SUNDAYS AA Meetings @ The Anglican Church Basement Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Guided Meditation @ Soar Studios Drop-In @ Elk Valley Gymnastics, 12:45-1:45pm for ages 5+ Heritage Walking Tours @ Fernie Museum at 11am, 1pm and 3pm

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Community and Events

Soundtrack to a Life

by SHELBY CAIN

“

Feet on ground, heart in hand, facing forward, be yourself. Just be yourself.”

Jann Arden helped me survive my first year of University. I was aching for home.

Freezing and sad and ready to quit. Her poignant lyrics and rich voice poured into my ears every morning as I stood shivering on Saskatchewan Drive, waiting for the bus. The familiar words were warm and encouraging. An understanding hug from an older sister. When I see the cover of Living Under June, the album where the song “Good Mother” lived, I get teary. It’s like a tattered photograph of a dear friend I haven’t seen in a while, but still desperately love. Still owe so much gratitude to. This is music. The true power of it. It morphs beyond its simple wavy existence and becomes real and tactile. Something to cling to.

And there have been others. When I reflect on my four completed decades, I hear them.Voices from my past, accompanied by specific scenes. A special friend or a wild party or a broken heart. The time Becky and I slept on the beach in Crawford Bay and sang along to Jeff Healey’s “Angel Eyes” all night. I can see the infinite web of stars above us and feel the cold air on my nose. The banana yellow of the Sony Sports Boombox. “Home for a Rest”

by Spirit of the West at…well…every good time I’ve ever had. Journey. They make up the soundtrack of me. Like an acoustic fingerprint that is uniquely mine.

Collectively. But individually we all share similarities. Songs that bond us together, placing us in a precise time and denim and hairstyle. “Summer of ’69.” “Sweet Jane.”

“Lost Together.” “Blow at High Dough.”

When we stumble upon a shared passion for our favourite artists - around a campfire or at 80’s night at The Northern - we

I hope the new generation is busy living, and listening, and building their own soundtrack. One that will, no doubt, look nothing like mine. And that’s okay.

FAMILY STOKE

Has anything changed? I hope not. I hope the new generation is busy living, and listening, and building their own soundtrack. One that will, no doubt, look nothing like mine. And that’s okay. But music is magic. A time machine with the ability to instantly transport you. It’s so precious and deserves to be treasured.

Even though it’s a lot easier to come by these days. Even though it’s not always made with instruments anymore. I looked at the American Billboard Charts today.

Seven of the top ten spots are owned by a Canadian Musician. Drake. Ontario, and Degrassi High’s very own. I think that’s pretty fantastic. And even though I can’t personally say he makes my top ten, I’m proud to claim him as ours. During a time when the Southern Cheeto isn’t exactly playing nice, maybe we should make an effort to celebrate, and support, our homegrown Canadian artists. I went and bought the Canadian ketchup. I’m sure Drake will be just as surprisingly satisfying.

My Top Ten Canadian Playlist: “Good Mother” – Jann Arden

cheer. Clink glasses. Like each other just a little bit more.

On October 17, 2017, we lost one of the musicians that shaped us. Gord Downie, the lead singer of The Tragically Hip, passed away. If you are anywhere near my age, you felt this one.You stopped what you were doing and exhaled. Maybe even shed a tear.

Went home and watched that final concert one more time. It hurt. But we never knew him. We never called him on the phone or slept on his couch or met him for a beer.

(If you did you’re a lucky bastard.) No, we simply admired him from afar. He came to our colleges and towns and we bought his CD’s. We gathered in basements and at bush parties and we listened. Somehow the words he wrote down on a scrap of paper and sang into a microphone became deeply personal to us. We claimed them, and him, as our own.

“Scared” – The Tragically Hip “Home for a Rest” – Spirit of the West “Northern Wind” – City and Colour “Crash Hard” – Dustin Bentall “Crooked Old World” – Leeroy Stagger “Lost Together” – Blue Rodeo “Knocking at the Door” – Arkells “Something to Live For” – Barney Bentall “Good Enough” – Sarah McLachlan

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Community and Events

The Music Makers

by REBECCA HALL

1

2

3

4

INSIDE AND OUT

T

he summery sounds of the 70’s filled the air at a campsite-themed gathering in downtown Fernie on June 15. Good Valley (Anie Hepher and Shawna Plant) were the perfect accompaniment to the opening of Michael Hepher’s new exhibit of paintings - Backroads BC (at the Fernie Museum until September 16), which explores lesser-known routes through our large and beautiful province.

Sun-soaked harmonies and gentle guitar medleys heralded the start of a longawaited summer, while the weather, although not exactly summery, stayed dry.

As we enjoyed the tunes surrounded by a corral of compact vintage camper vans, thoughts were clearly on the inspiration of the exhibit – family road trips to remote campsites; the crackle of the campfire and the swoosh and splash of a paddle through the water.

At the end of June, Fernieites gathered once again and enjoyed the carnival-like atmosphere as a downtown institution – Big Bang Bagels – celebrated ten years of tasty with a family birthday party.

Heading into the Canada Day long weekend, the dumpster painting event at Station Square was another chance to soak up some sunshine, while DJ Jay Ray entertained painters and punters alike with lively inspiration and the clatter and sizzle of cook-trucks called to the taste buds. Between bursts of summer rain, the Canada Day festivities on July 1 filled the grounds at City Hall with the sights, sounds, and tastes of Canada, bringing together the whole community for good food and great music rounded out with the symphony of the closing fireworks. At the 100th anniversary celebrations at Fernie Golf Club, the sweet sounds of RedGirl rang out across the fairways as the gentle thwack of vintage clubs sent balls across the sand greens. And finally, it was time for the Wednesday Concert Series – Fernie’s very

own sound of the downtown, complete with the pop and click of can tabs opening and the magical silence of the children’s face painter.

After the crisp, cool quiet of winter — muffled by pillows of snow and punctured by occasional whoops of joy or sounds spilling from a bar door swung open — summer is cacophonous. As the rumble and whistle of the train grow clearer with the passing months the chirp and chatter of birds and squirrels returns. Coyotes call from the woods and the occasional bugle of a bull elk rings out across the wetlands. From the weekly Concert Series to the big voices of Canada Day, Wapiti and Chautauqua, the sound of summer is strong. Fernie’s musicians echo the notes we hear daily – laughter from a patio, children playing at the splash park, or one of my own personal favourites, the rhythm of unseen cheers that echo from the ballfields near my apartment. What do you hear?

5

IMAGE CAPTIONS: 1. Laughter and cheers rang out across Maiden Lake for the Annual Cardboard Boat Race.

2. The new location for Canada Day festivities at City Hall were a huge hit - perfect for strolling the lawns and enjoying live music.

3. The Dumpster Painting event brought us lots of fun new designs and tunes from DJ Jay Ray. 4. The Fernie Legion has had a makeover! Drop in and enjoy the warm welcome, full bar and maybe a karaoke session!

5. Queens of the greens Lori and Peggy (and many more!) put on a great show for the 100th anniversary celebrations at Fernie Golf Club.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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changing the shape of wood

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Outdoor Life

“Stayin’ Alive”

Rappelling, also known as abseiling, is when a person “belays” themselves from the top of a cliff, down to the bottom.

Before attempting this activity on your own, you should seek out instruction from a certified guide or instructor. Failure to rig the system correctly will have catastrophic consequences. Every year a few climbers in North America lose their lives when rappelling goes wrong. Reasons for this include not properly threading the rope through both the rappel device and carabiner, as well as rappelling off of the end of the ropes. The latter can be avoided by tying a tight barrel knot in the ends of both ropes.

by MEL MAKEPEACE

A

ccidents in North American Climbing 2017 states that the five most common climbing accidents that require rescue are the result of leader falls, loose rock, rappelling, becoming stranded or benighted, and scrambling, downclimbing, or soloing. With proper training from certified instructors and guides, you can reduce the likelihood of accidents while climbing. Knowledge of the climbing lingo as well as understanding common mistakes and how to avoid making them can lead to a life of climbing without ever having to make a rescue call.

Leader fall accidents usually are a result of poorly placed protection while trad climbing. Understanding the mechanics of your protection is vital. Knowing the limitations of rock climbing protection is as important as comprehending how it works.

Accidents in North American Climbing 2017 identifies “sticky cams” as a cause of failure, as well as overconfidence in the holding strength of micro protection.

Listening to music while participating in sports can make the outing more enjoyable, however, when you’re rock climbing, leave the speakers in the car. Numerous accidents are reported in North America every year that arose from communication difficulties between climbing partners.

Standard climbing language in Canada consists of a few short commands, all of which vary phonetically in order to make each command stand out from the next.

On belay - signifies that the belayer has checked their system and is ready for their partner to begin climbing.

Climbing - indicates that the climber is making upward progress, and the belayer needs to pull in slack.

Take - with this command, the belayer will pull in all of the slack in the climbing system to keep the climber taught on the rope.

Slack - you guessed it, the climber needs some slack in the climbing system.

Secure - this important command should only be communicated when the climber has clipped securely into an anchor and wants the belayer to unclip them from the initial climbing system. If the plan is to be lowered after cleaning an anchor, you

TIME TO SOLITUDE

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

should never say “secure” but rather ask for “slack” and then “take.”

I personally know someone who was dropped 30 meters when the belayer thought that the climber was going to rappel from a cliff, and the climber was expecting to be lowered by the belayer. Luckily he survived, although was seriously injured. Unfortunately, this miscommunication in climbing happens far too often and is the catalyst for climbing fatalities annually.

Managing the hazardous climbing environment, and knowing how to navigate the vertical world, are all skills covered in climbing courses. Climbing courses are not just for beginners. There are advanced courses available for those whose knowledge and technical skill takes them to higher and more hazardous places. Resources such as Accidents in North American Climbing are also useful, however, reading and watching videos come second to getting out with experienced climbers.

A safe day out on the rock ensures that you can listen to your favourite tunes with your friends in the car on your way home. Feel free to email me at mel@mountainaddicts. ca with any questions regarding climbing or hiring a guide.

Source: Accidents in North American Climbing 2017. American Alpine Club, 2017.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Outdoor Life

TWO TRAILS DIVERGED IN A WOOD

The Trails of Island Lake

by JEFF COLDEN

F

ernie is a beautiful place to live. Many places have a great view, but perhaps nowhere are the surroundings more magical than around Island Lake Lodge.

The drive up, through a forest that is quite unlike the rest of our woods, has lush greenery and large cedar trees, each one far more impressive than a whole stand of lodgepole pine. Alternatively, one can take the Old Growth Trail, and take one’s time walking up the four kilometres to the Lodge.

Island Lake Lodge has trails of all sorts, ranging from the pedestrian Island Lake Trail, to the adventurous Spineback Trail, to the more extreme Heiko’s Trail.

To incentivize you to explore them all, Island Lake is holding a photo contest, called the “Iconic Photo Spots Contest.”

They are selecting the grand prize winner on October 22, which includes a one thousand dollar voucher to Island Lake Lodge, and some North Face swag. Full details are available at islandlakecatskiing. com.

While one has to be careful to time it around the myriad of weddings that the Lodge holds, a short walk around the Lake Trail and cocktail on the balcony looking out at the surrounding mountain range is a lovely way to entertain your out of town guests. If you want to earn you drinks more than the leisurely stroll around the lake, you can ride Lazy Lizard from the Provincial Park which makes its way up to Island Lake. While it is far from the steepest climb in Fernie – there may be none gentler, over that distance - it can wear on you, as the kilometres tick by. The descent is friendly enough and, if you take it slow, it is a trail that is fun for the whole family, or you can ride it harder, as despite the traffic there are great sight lines.

JEFF COLDEN PHOTO

That said, I think the best introduction to the area is the Old Growth Trail – if nothing else it is very well shaded. It is like hiking into a different world, the forest is of a different kind, older and I dare say prettier, than the forests just a few minutes away. The red cedar trees tower out of the lush moss and somehow the earth manages to hold a spongy texture. The trees were saved by logging executives, in a bygone time. While Fernie is technically a rainforest, we are most used to seeing precipitation in the winter! The Old Growth Trail is a glimpse of summer temperate rainforest that reminds us of our climate. As a hike, it’s a perfect adventure for friends and family of all levels. It only takes around an hour, which is the perfect warm up to having a gin and soda on the balcony at the Bear Lodge, overlooking the lake. If you’re lucky, you can opt to stay with the kids, while your compatriots return with a vehicle to shuttle you back down. In summer, the bike racks hold dozens and you are amongst friends who have hiked and biked their way to their extra-large Fernie Brewing Company bottles and delicious cocktails.

So get out there and go on a hike, maybe try your hand at finding the new “iconic”

image of Island Lake Lodge, to see if you can win the purse!

Y A M A G O Y A FERNIEFIX.COM

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Outdoor Life

NEVER HAVE I EVER

Wine Tours and the Little Things

by JESSE BELL

S

ometimes you don’t know what you need inside your soul. That is, until you’re yelling out lyrics to Robyn’s “Show Me Love” circa 1997 while wine-drunk, and on your way to a pool overlooking a vineyard.

But that’s the beautiful thing about summer—it’s full of surprises.

My dear friend and wine expert Lisa Marie moved to the Okanagan recently after 11 years in Fernie. So we followed her. Four girls on a plane, four days in wine country, a pool, and Lisa to guide us through our sweetest wine dreams.

Jody, Anna, Chan, Jesse, and Lisa. Riesling, Chardonnay, Malbec, Rosé, Pinot Gris.

Wine tours just got glorious.

After arriving at the Kelowna airport, we’re informed of our first wine tour in 20 minutes.

“Liquid lunch, ladies,” Lisa says. When we arrive at Kitsch Wines, a beautiful mansion overlooking the shimmery Okanagan Lake, liquid lunch seems just fine.

Winemaker Grant introduces us to the tasting room, an open-doored garage with vineyard views. Six different wines, five glasses, and us. We talk about the grapegrowing process and not long after, leave with our first of many full cases of wine.

Chan, owner of Freyja Lifestyle Fashion in downtown Fernie (and my personal fashion go-to guru) proudly carries the case back to the car.

We have lunch, though it escapes me where, and then visit The Hatch. A handsome man with white-blonde hair pours us a sampling of whites and suddenly we’re critics, giggling about the smell, texture, and taste with each swirl of the glass.

JESSE BELL PHOTOS

...I think about the little things; a great pair of sandals, a pink flamingo, a bug swimming in someone’s wine, a photograph.

I realize then, the little things aren’t so little. And wine tours aren’t just about wine.

“This one’s clean. It’s just a really clean wine,” Chan says. “Punchy. Clean.”

We erupt in hysterics, the wine’s gone to our heads. Laughter feels good, a deepbellied good, an I-needed-this-desperately good. We leave with another case of wine and drive to Indigenous World Wines.

After admiring the bunches of lavender outside, we sip and savour, leaving with another case. I quickly learn it’s difficult to visit a winery without buying a bottle or two, or three. As we drive along the west shore of Okanagan Lake, Robyn’s “Show Me Love” throws us all back to the 90s, and my soul does a little dance.

Following a beer at Cannery Brewing Co. and a plate full of chicken and artichoke heart nachos, we end up poolside on the Naramata Bench, our first day of wine touring done.

In the morning, after a walk in the sun, we explore the Summerland area. First, Dirty Laundry Vineyards. Winemaker Mason leads us through a wine cellar where we compare Malbecs, then we sit for pizza on the patio. Like Italy; pizza and wine

beneath green vines overlooking enchanted wine country.

“To Lisa!” we cheers, our glasses full of chilled Sauv Blanc (you can try this at Wapiti Music Festival this year—hooray!).

After lunch, we break from wine at Nomad Cider and pick fresh raspberries. Then we do a tasting beneath a stormy sky with TH Wines, large raindrops haphazardly falling around us. Then we shop for dinner and snacks; steaks, kale, potatoes, cheese buns, onion rings, and chicken burgers.

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A low point, perhaps, though it all depends on how you look at it. After all, a girl needs her snacks.

That evening after dinner we gather beneath the awning by the pool and watch the Okanagan sun fall way to the night.

On our third day, we find ourselves at the Red Rooster Winery’s sensory room, where mason jars filled with different dried fruits and other influences of wine align the shelves. An energetic man named Berk leads us through several different wines—we swirl, smell, pair with canapés.

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Aged cheddar smothered in honey and coffee grinds with Pinot Gris; cream cheese and strawberry foam on a graham cracker crumb with Rosé; potato, capers, tomato, and lemon juice and dill with Chardonnay.

“Remember, ladies, wine-food-wine,” says Berk. Indeed.

We tackle four more wineries before the day’s end and spend the rest of the afternoon poolside. As I bob up and down on my blow-up doughnut in the pool, I think about the little things; a great pair of sandals, a pink flamingo, a bug swimming in someone’s wine, a photograph.

I realize then, the little things aren’t so little.

And wine tours aren’t just about wine.

Disclaimer: Robyn is not on the Wapiti Music Festival lineup, though there are some other truly incredible bands to hit the stage. Go! Drink some wine! Do a little soul dancing of your own.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Eye health and vision exams for children are covered by Provincial Health Care.

Book eye exams for your children today!

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Photo by Sara Previte

Outdoors

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Outdoor Life

Get in the Flow with Contra

by JULIE KELLY, FTA

Distance: Approx. 10 km Time: Approx. 1.5 – 2.5 hours Difficulty: Intermediate - Advanced

F

or many riders the new flow trail, Contra is music to their ears! You may find yourself making your own music as you find your flow down this trail full of jumps and berms with absolutely fantastic views at the top!

There are a number of ways to access this trail.You can simply head up Rifle Range Road and do multi laps on Contra seeing if you can perfect your line choices each lap.You can also link it by climbing up FloWrkr or from the Ridgemont trail

DANNY MCCORMACK, JULIE KELLY FROM FERNIE TRAILS ALLIANCE AND RICK ALLEN FROM COLUMBIA BASIN TRUST SUBMITTED PHOTO

network. This route will take you up via the Ridgemont trails.

Head over to Ridgemont and get warmed up as you climb Cemetery By-Pass to

Wednesday Concert Series

FREE, family-friendly outdoor live concerts at the Fernie Arts Station, every Wednesday evening this summer!

HITTING THE TRAILS

What’s up Doc. Continue climbing meandering through the trees and multiple switchbacks on Kiddie up to Queen V. Take a right on Eco-Terrorist crossing a number of boardwalks until you come out on Ridgemont Road. Turn left on the road and take your first right up Kid’s Stuff.

More climbing on a few short punchy sections, but it will all be worth it! Take a right up Branch B Road, pass Bear Chutes and stay left on Rifle Range Road Spur 3.

Stay left when the road splits for one final climb that takes you to the top of Contra.

Enjoy the views before experiencing Contra on the rip down! All jumps can be rolled or you can choose to get some big air! The trail exits on Rifle Range Rd. Again there are a number of options from here to get back to town. A fast way back is to continue down the road, take a sharp right on Coal Creek Heritage trail for an easy pedal back.

FOOD TRUCKS starting at 5:30pm

DJs OPENING starting at 5:30pm

REFRESHMENT GARDEN 5:30-8:45pm

KIDS ART ZONE LIVE MUSIC 5:30-8pm

6:30-8:30pm

August 1

August 15

August 29

OPENER: JAYRAY Celtic Folk duo from Nova Scotia. Cassieandmaggie.com

OPENER: AURORA Roots, Alternative, Rock, Soul from Vancouver.

Thelionthebearthefox.com

OPENER: AURORA Deep Groove, Funk, Soul from Calgary. Facebook.com/ FreakMotif

Cassie and Maggie

August 8

The Northern Beauties

OPENER: PJ Western Folk, from Calgary.

Wearenorthernbeauties.com

Lion Bear Fox

August 22

Deep Down Yonder OPENER: LINDEN ANTHONY Where acoustic and electronica meet, from Slocan Valley. Deepdownyonder.com

www.theartsstation.com

Freak Motif

• Please feel free to bring your own chair, reusable cup and a small sun shade •

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Health and Lifestyle

THE MAGIC OF COMPOST

Your Community, Your Impact

by ASHLEY TAYLOR

I

f you’ve read my previous articles you know my passion for waste reduction lies in composting. As much as I love my worms they are just one tool in the shed for managing waste. I would like to explore some quirkier community initiatives, programs, and personal practices for waste reduction that are easily obtainable in the Valley. So, here is a list of a few feel good habits and awesome local programs to support a happy, healthy, Fernie!

1. Bagless is the New Black The ‘Zero Plastic Project’ initiated by Wildsight was taken up by many local businesses like ducks to water.You’ll likely find most stores in town no longer offer bags unless requested and have done away with the classic white plastic bag and replaced it with its prim and proper paper partner.You can find free reusable bags offered outside of many stores in Fernie. At Save-On-Foods, you can also request paper bags if you have forgotten your reusable ones at home.

Is the bulk food section leaving you burdened with tiny baggies? There are a number of reusable bags on the market for this very purpose that can keep those little guys from multiply in your kitchen drawers. If you really want to go the extra mile, literally, you can check out Full-Fill, the new zero waste store in Kimberly. Fill up on everything from nut butter to natural house hold cleaners without ever adding a new container to your life!

2. Eating Out Without the Impact There are so many wonderful businesses in Fernie who work hard to provide excellent meals as well as being mindful of what their leaving behind. Many have switched from Styrofoam take out containers to biodegradable options. Better yet, you can

STOCK PHOTO

bring your own Tupperware if you know your tendency is to have eyes bigger than your stomach.

Of course, I have to give a shout out to my own crew; the following five local businesses have partnered with Valley Vitals to create a Green Team: Big Bang Bagels, Blue Toque, The Brickhouse, Curry Bowl, and Nevados. In just over two months they have already removed over five tons of food waste from going in the trash and in the process made some chickens very happy! The Blue Toque even takes left over chopsticks and provides them for kindling!

I like to use them as seed markers in my garden.

Many businesses have also done away with plastic straws; you only need to watch one video of a straw being torn from a turtle’s nostril to be encouraged to do without.

Need to stir your Caesar? Consider a spoon!

3. The Plague that is Packaging I challenge you on your next shopping trip to try and fill your cart without filling it with plastic. Nearly impossible is it not?

While we are not yet in the position to have a local zero-waste grocery store, our own shopping habits can go a long way.

Buying in bulk is an excellent way to cut down on both packaging and cost. Try to

buy produce in cardboard boxes instead of plastic bags; Earl’s Fruit Stand is an excellent option for this! Maybe skip on the crackers that are packaged in plastic, then cardboard, then plastic again.

Shopping local has never been so easy with the Fernie Mountain Market, the Baynes Lake Farmers Market, and Kootenay Farm-to-Folk online ordering. There are numerous local farmers and ranchers that are working hard to bring you the both most sustainable food and in the most eco-friendly packaging. Help them out by bringing your own wicker basket on your next weekend market outing.

4. Fernie Fresh Food Share The superhero, Nicole Knauf, and her team of food fighter volunteers have tackled the challenge of food waste in Fernie with their food share program. Businesses that would have been forced to throw out perfectly good day-old or ‘not so pretty’ produce can now donate their goodies.You can find everything from celery sticks to cinnamon rolls! Did I mention you can pick them up for free? You can see what sweet treats are new this week on their Facebook page @ ferniefreshfoodshare.

See you next month, and the mean time, support your local farmer!

FERNIEFIX.COM

43

Health and Lifestyle

FERNIE FLAVOURS

BBQ Pairings

by KATIE HAMAR

I

t’s hard to imagine improving upon a barbecue on a hot summer night. By choosing the right drink to compliment your meal, however, you’ll raise your BBQ game to new heights, bringing forth different flavours from both food and drink that may have been missed otherwise.

Depending on what’s on the menu, consider the following libations for your next barbecue.

What are you eating?

Burgers. For a beef burger, the most obvious drink pairing is red wine. Lightbodied cabernet sauvignon or merlot are your best bets for burgers served simply without many toppings. If you’re someone who loves lots of onions, mustard, and cheese, choose an acidic pinot noir that cuts through the strong additional flavours.

Some experts suggest a Zinfandel whose

DINNER AT ISLAND LAKE LODGE | MIKE MCPHEE PHOTO

bold fruit flavours sit well with sweet ketchup and sour pickles. In general, look for a wine with enough tannins

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and structure to compliment the savoury beef, and fresh fruit flavours to balance its toppings.

Beer-wise, reach for a highly-hopped IPA whose hop bitterness cuts the burger’s greasiness. Black IPAs, specifically, feature roasted malt flavours that pair well with grilled beef burgers. Further, the beer’s bitterness creates contrast for deeper complexity. If you’re going the cheeseburger route, nutty brown ales and rich amber beers pair well with aged cheeses like Swiss and Gouda.

Many experts recommend rosé bubbly as the ideal burger pairing due to the bubbles’ ability to cut the burger’s heaviness. Pick one that is well-structured with lots of layers so it stands up to the beef and all of its toppings. As a further benefit, the bubbles provide a cleansing effect after each sip. Pop that bubbly and celebrate barbecue season!

For the veggie burger lover, choose a bright and fruity red blend or a sweet Viognier that compliments a burger with earthy legumes and spices. The meaty consistency of Portobello mushroom

burgers pairs well with most robust reds like Zinfandel and Shiraz, or go the white wine route and choose a white Burgundy.

Ribs. Beer and ribs go hand in hand. For both pork and beef ribs, choose a malty beer with a bit of sweetness or a crisp lager that cleanses the palate in between bites. If you’re after wine, choose an acidic Pinot Gris with stone fruit flavours or a rich, fruity Zinfandel with enough structure to stand up to ribs’ bold flavour.

Two other great picks for ribs are hard cider that balances spicier rib sauces with its sweetness, and a Mint Julep containing bourbon, sugar and fresh mint. This cocktail pairs perfectly with any type of rib sauce because the mint cools spice and the sugar compliments a sticky, sweet marinade.

Salmon. Salmon on the barbecue is hard to beat. To elevate this dish further, choose a fruity rosé with hints of melon or a Pinot Noir whose light spice pairs well with salmon cooked over charcoal, especially.

Pinot Gris is a good white wine option due to its stone fruit and pear elements that work well with the fish’s savouriness. For a cocktail option, make a Chelsea Sidecar that combines gin, triple sec and lemon juice in a shaker with ice then strained.

Grilled Vegetables and More. When grilling corn on the cob, pick a richly oaked Chardonnay to compliment the sweetness of the corn. Cabernet Merlot is a good choice for char-grilled bell peppers and zucchini because its boldness stands up to the smokiness of the semi-blackened veggies. When grilling mushrooms and root vegetables, choose a Gamay or Syrah.

If you’ve never tried grilling thick-cut halloumi cheese on the barbecue, you’re missing out. The salty creaminess of the cheese is nicely cut with crisp white wine, dry rosé, and sparkling. Moscato and Italian prosecco are good options.

Next time you plan on firing up the grill, take a moment to consider what drink will compliment your meal. The right pairing will elevate your summer evening to a whole new level of deliciousness.

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Health and Lifestyle

THE FIND

Hit Makers

by CRYS STEWART

What do a cup, a T-shirt, a chair, and a board have in common?

They’re sure to be high notes at your next summer outing, Wapiti included.

Red or White or Green All Over At this year’s Wapiti, you can buy a metal cup designed for red or white wine that’s just as stylishly reusable as those clutched the last two years by fellow concertgoers of the beerloving persuasion. The new wine cup is one more way the festival’s organizers support the environment as well as indie music. As Wapiti Artistic Director Chantel Vincent explained to me in an email, always going greener is part of the festival’s DNA. “A year ago we received a Green Award [from Wildsight Elk Valley for Greenest Event] and it struck me that we didn’t set out to win green awards for our initiatives. We are just trying to do the right thing and find better ways each year to be green and sustainable for many more years of music.” I’ll drink to that.

Reusable metal wine cup: $15, Cup and serving of wine: $20, (wine: $7 per serving), at Wapiti Music Festival.

THE NEW WAPITI MUSIC FESTIVAL REUSABLE METAL WINE CUP.

A Fashion Home Run For Festival-Going and Beyond A lot of Caitlyn Bellavance’s clothes are attention-getters. Think holographic bikinis, metallic velvet tights and festival frock coats in shimmering brocade. In fact, the fashion designer and entrepreneur also designs transfixing circus and theatre costumes. Now she’s introducing a head-turning collection of baseball T-shirts and, for the first time, it’s a collection she didn’t sew herself in her Ferniebased studio. She’s still committed to creating ethically sourced and produced garments, though. Her Mom, who lives in China, helps her by working closely with the factory manufacturing her designs.

The tees are offered in a variety of colours with contrasting trims.

The embroidered embellishments, designed in collaboration with D.I.Y Or Die, may change so keep your eyes open. “I’m considering a spaceship with a little alien beaming up,” Bellavance said. “I’ll be switching it up.”

Bella.V.Co baseball T-shirts (Pastel blue with white details, Black with pink details, Black with neon yellow details and Black with yellow details), $100 each, at Cryptic Hive, 581 B 2nd Ave., and Etsy (BellaVbyCaits).

FASHION DESIGNER CAITLYN BELLAVANCE OF BELLA.V.CO AND A BASEBALL T-SHIRT FROM HER NEW COLLECTION.

Music to a Snowboarder’s Ears Lance Edwards, owner and manager of Elevation Showcase, had a major Marty McFly moment. Stopped in traffic while riding his OneWheel, “These guys rolled down their windows and said ‘Hey, are you from the future!’” Well, folks, the future EDWARDS, OWNER OF ELEVATION is here and boarding no longer requires LANCE SHOWCASE, RIDES DOWN 2ND AVE ON winter or a hill. Edwards describes A ONEWHEEL—THE SNOWBOARDER’S ANSWER TO RIDING YEAR ROUND. Future Motion’s electric motorized board thusly: “Basically, it’s the most fun you can have on a single wheel.” So, what exactly makes it go? (And, by ‘go’ I mean the new OneWheel+XR can cover up to 29 km at speeds up to 30 km/h.) A single, rechargeable Hypercore brushless hub motor with solid-state inertial sensors and dynamic stabilization. [Cue: Audio of chirping crickets.]

THE LIGHTWEIGHT, FOLDING HELINOX BEACH CHAIR HAS SPLAYED LEGS AND WIDER FEET SO IT SITS STURDILY ON GRASS OR SAND.

Sitting Pretty The folks at Elk River Guiding Company know that after a long day of fishing/ camping/hiking/whatever being cradled comfortably is vastly more appealing than sitting on the ground. No surprise, then, that they stock some great folding chairs.

So I asked them for their thoughts on the ideal music festival chair. Their answer: the Helinox Beach Chair. Jess Vogler, the store’s retail manager, said, “With its higher back and sturdy feet you will be able to hang out all day comfortably, without sinking into the grass. Since it weighs less than 1.5 kg, you can carry the whole family’s chairs in one hand and still hold your Yeti cup in the other!” Paul Samycia, the company’s owner and outfitter, added, “This chair is awesome.

It’s handled anything I have put it through while out camping and fishing. I always felt so bad throwing away all those other cheaper chairs that broke at the end of each season and now I don’t have to.”

Helinox Beach Chair, $189, at Elk River Guiding Company, 791 7th Ave., and elkriver.ca.

Here’s the thing: Since he first started selling the boards last fall, he found that skateboarders and snowboarders get the hang of it right away but, he pointed out, it’s designed for everyone, kids included. “It’s a lot easier to ride than it looks,” Edwards told me, reading my mind. “I have seen four and five-year-olds riding it confidently. So cool to see.” Nervous parents take note: The app lets you put a governor on the speed. (What? You didn’t assume the board syncs to your phone?) Ride one to Wapiti and you won’t have to park it with the bikes–it’s light enough to tuck under your arm. Now that’s forward thinking! OneWheel+ XR, $2,500, at Elevation Showcase, 598 2nd Ave.

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Health and Lifestyle

The Ketogenic Diet

brain fog, headaches and acetone smelly breath and pee are common.

2. Sports performance, especially aerobic exercise, can be largely affected. Much of our research to date focuses on timing and portions of carbohydrates, electrolytes and fluid for optimal endurance performance.

Remember, using ketones for energy is our bodies secondary fuel choice.

by TIFFANY SCHEBESCH, RD, BASC

K

eith loves food. His entire life he’s been a foodie, trying new tastes and flavours. As he got a few years older, this love of food seemed to work as a disadvantage for him. His metabolism slowed, his previously active work turned into a desk job and life seemed to be busier than ever. After visiting his doctor, he was told to lose ten pounds for his health.

He knew his friend Josh has recently lost weight on the ketogenic diet and sought him out to learn how to start. Eating bacon and butter seemed like it would fit right into his love of food. His wife suggested he meet with a health professional before embarking on this journey to make sure this was a healthy weight loss tactic.

I’m sure almost everyone has heard the term “keto” thrown around, but what is it really? The ketogenic diet is very high fat (>70% of your diet), moderate in protein (20-25% of your diet) and very low in carbohydrate (<5% of your diet).

Health Canada recommends a much more balanced approach of 20-35% of protein, 45-65% of carbohydrate and 10-35% of fat – so how is this achieved? The basis of the diet is meat, fish, butter, eggs, cheese, heavy cream, oils, nuts, avocados, seeds and low carb green vegetables. The goal of the diet is to put your body into ketosis.

Optimally, our body prefers carbohydrates, broken down into glucose, as its main energy source. In ketosis, the absence of carbs means our bodies switch from glucose to breaking fat cells into ketone bodies to use as fuel.

I’m sure the burning question is whether this diet causes weight loss, and the answer is yes – with a few caveats. There are a few reasons many folks see quick, significant weight loss on this diet. First, you’re cutting out a significant number of foods, including fruit, milk, yogurt, rice, pasta…the list

FOOD INTELLIGENCE

3. Loss of muscle mass is another concern for those looking to get “lean” on the keto diet. Research has shown that even with adequate protein intake, our bodies need carbs to promote the release of insulin to properly process the protein we eat.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The basis of the [Ketogenic} diet is meat, fish, butter, eggs, cheese, heavy cream, oils, nuts, avocados, seeds and low carb green vegetables. goes on. This means you’re also cutting a significant number of calories from your diet since fat is very satiating you need to eat fewer calories to feel full. Finally, there is an initial period of water weight loss, since the glucose, or glycogen, is bound to water in our bodies. Cutting the carbs means dropping the water weight.

Despite the promising news that this diet often does cause weight loss, there are some concerns from a health and lifestyle standpoint.

4. Cutting out multiple foods groups may result in a calorie deficit; however, it can also result in a nutrient deficit including fibre, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, selenium and zinc. A lack of fibre means a greater chance of constipation since fibrerich foods like whole grains, fruit, beans and legumes are all a no-no.

5. Finally, the keto diet has had little research on the sustainability of initial weight loss. Like any other diet, going keto is restrictive, sets the stage for disordered eating in the future and, focuses more on quantity than quality. Overall, focusing on eating whole foods, cooking more foods at home, implementing mindful eating and watching portions is key to healthier, longterm weight management. *This short article does not allow covering every benefit and drawback to the keto.

It also doesn’t cover the use of this diet for chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, this review focused strictly on weight loss. It can be used as a stepping stone to give you some unbiased information on our evidence-based knowledge to date. For a detailed review of whether this diet may work for you, I would suggest visiting a health professional for a full assessment.

1. Keto “flu,” which is your bodies adaptation to using ketones, is common in the first few weeks. Symptoms like fatigue, FERNIEFIX.COM

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Bits and Bytes

An Apple iPhone a Day

and take a look at the Activities category you’ll find out just how many steps you’ve taken so far with your iPhone in your pocket. It’s already tracking your health info.You just have to decide if you want it to track more or with assistance from a device or other app.

by KEVIN MCISAAC

I

t’s the middle of summer and as I write this column it’s hot. Damn hot. And my heart rate reflects it. It has climbed a bit as my body starts to work a bit harder to sweat and cool off. I can tell this by looking at my Fitbit Surge. It gives realtime heart rate information. I’m confident it’s the heat as I’m sitting at a keyboard typing, so all that’s left to account for the extra effort is the heat. Well, my heart rate may have jumped slightly when The Stone’s “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” came on a minute ago on RadioParadise. com, but I’ll ignore that since it’s off topic.

Of course, if you’re training for an event, sports in general, or just keeping track of your health, it’s not your current heart rate that’s the issue – it’s the trend. Fitter people tend to have lower average heart rates and lower maximum heart rates at exertion.

So, tracking the trend is what’s important.

How to do that?

Well, Fitbit has an app of course that keeps track of it. But so does my iPhone.

Apple Health is an app, or more correctly a programming interface for devices and other apps to talk to. Fitbit, Garmin, Wahoo, Nike+, Strava, Runkeeper, WeightWatchers, MyFitnessPal, many others, and of course Apple Watch, all talk to Apple Health and will upload/download stats.

What can be tracked? Body Fat, BMI, Stairs, Heart Rate, Resting Energy, Sleep, Steps, Distances, Workouts, Menstrual Cycles, Diabetes, etc. And the list is growing. Not all devices track all these statistics, so your mileage may vary (no pun intended.)

All of these devices and apps have varying abilities to display this information to you.

This is where the Apple Health app on your iPhone comes in handy as it gives you

THE ANSWER GUY

STOCK PHOTO

easy access to look at all of this even if your device doesn’t.

First, you need to setup your device or app. They’re all a little different, so you’ll have to use the instructions associated with yours. Once setup you can go to the Sources section of the Health app to configure it.You can also turn it off here if you want it to cease tracking for some reason.

Let’s look at a simple example of usage: sleep tracking.Very few devices support sleep tracking right now, but your iPhone will do it for you.You can set your phone to give you reminders of when to go to bed and when to get up, for consistency.

You can also use an app like Sleep Cycle which has you put your iPhone under your pillow. Now you’ll start getting regular information about your sleep cycles. My FitBit Surge does sleep tracking so I can see how long my sleep REM cycles are and how disturbed or restful my sleep is. And how much sleep I’m averaging.

Changes to the average could be me being more responsible or it could be indicative of stress or illness. Seeing the change lets me decide if I have to do anything about it.

Other interesting things about the Apple Health app: it has a Medical ID component where you can record your organ donor status, blood type, medical conditions, allergies, etc. Some of which may be useful in a health emergency.

The one question I’ve been asked about this app a few times is regarding its security.

Is it secure? Probably secure enough is the answer. Apple has robust security. All your health data is stored on the phone in an encrypted format and only shared with other apps with your permission. Even Apple never has your plain data, only the encrypted format, if your data is backed up on their servers. So, unless you’re a national security threat, your data is probably safe.

Each of the categories in the Apple Health app, Activity, Mindfulness, Nutrition, and Sleep all have a list of recommended apps for those categories, if you’re looking to get started.

If you’re thinking all this sound like a bit much even to get started, you may be surprised to find out that you’re already doing it. If you open the Apple Health app FERNIEFIX.COM

51

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Bits and Bytes

August 2018

by YANN LORANGER

T

he question of trust in relationships is important this month. Our personal destinies will be pulled in directions very strongly. In the mean time, our hearts will be tested. If we’re unsure about the strength and status of some friendships, relationships, partnerships or even our own couple situation, August will make things clearer for us.

Since we all have a little bit of each sign within us, consider each of the following as addressing a specific part of yourself. Read it all for every aspect within yourself.

Aries (March 21 - April 29) Vigilance Destiny will pull you into a very strong and attractive direction. If you simply follow this direction head down without asking any questions, you might find yourself caught up in a situation you weren’t expecting. With your heart involved, you’ll have to choose between your usual habits and this new attractive option.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Reboot You realize that good and strategic changes are here to help you and support future development.You are in the process of accepting the changes that life is inflicting upon you. This goes so well and you are willingly ready to move into the proposed direction, feeling new strength slowly emerging within.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Seafarer Your mind is wild and daring. It defies the ancient belief system by going into directions you thought of as dangerous and not appropriate. Nevertheless, your ability to navigate on top of the sea, way above

If we’re unsure about the strength and status of some friendships, relationships, partnerships or even our own couple situation, August will make things clearer for us. the abyss and ocean’s depth allows you to keep the same assured appearance as usual.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) Sacrifice Your need to see things work and function will be stronger than your emotions.You’ll be like a mother ready to make great sacrifices for her children to make sure they are ok. This maternal instinct will take the lead and leave your emotions behind.

Leo (July 23 - Aug 22) Keenness You literally have the courage of a lion.

Despite the advice of the authorities you usually follow and respect, you will attempt something different.Your own consciousness might not feel at ease with it, but you will go for it nevertheless.

Just make sure you use this bravery for something good!

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sept 22) Composure You’re the first to see clearly through all this. Imagine that there was a fight between two groups of people and the fight brought up lots of dust, so much that no one could see anything. Now, the fight is over and the dust clears up… you are the only one left standing, eyes open to see the result of this turmoil.

Libra (Sept 23 - Oct 22) Query Are you a faithful lover? Is your partner a faithful lover? Does your love nourish your personal development or does it restrain it?

ASTROLOGY

These are the questions that will resonate in your brain like never before.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) Bitterness You are not a happy camper! You feel that your generosity is not respected.You have given so much with all your heart and people are turning away from you.You have a great opportunity this month to work once again on your power issues.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Uncertainty It is difficult, even for a “Centaur” that masters the art of Philosophy, to properly take aim when your feelings are not in line. Hesitation comes in the way as you aren’t sure what should be your priority: to gallop towards your changing future or to reassure the wiry hearts.

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) Control The ones with a heavy heart will think you are cold-hearted and detached from your emotions.You’ll be like the ropes that held Ulysses from going to the sirens.Yes, you could say the ropes had no feelings and no ears, but they were crucially important.

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) Password You feel a little bit behind the scenes.

All will be busy dealing with a complex situation, not knowing why, how and when.You know what the real issue is and can help solving the mystery by sharing what’s in your heart.

Pisces (Feb 19 - March 20) Service In this time of great doubt, exploration and uncertainty, you vote for the actual king and choose to follow the leadership that is already in place.You will offer your creativity and intuition to help the authorities.

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Fernie Fun

FIX TRIVIA

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SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

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MUSIC RIDDLES

Can you find five differences between these two pictures?

Credit: justriddlesandmore.com

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

1. If a band plays music in a thunderstorm, who is most likely to get hit by lightning?

2. What is the difference between a composer and a letter carrier?

3. What kind of phone makes music?

4. Why did the orchestra have bad manners?

ANSWERS JULY SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

FIND THE Somewhere in this issue is a little pink flower.

Can you find it?

Answers Musuc Riddles: 1. The Conductor. 2. One writes notes and the other delivers them. 3. A saxophone.

4. An operator (opera hater).

Think. Do. CARE

HEAL SUPPORT NUTURE

Become.

HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT PROGRAM DESIGN This seven-month program combines classroom and practical experience, providing you with the knowledge and skills required to care for individuals in residential care, assisted living facilities, community settings or in their homes.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES The Interior Health Authority and Golden Life Management are actively seeking new members for their health care teams.

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September 5, 2018 to March 22, 2019 FERNIE CAMPUS FOR MORE INFORMATION: Phone: 250-423-4691 email: fernie@cotr.bc.ca

Explore Your Happy Place

Monday Date Nights 2 entrĂŠes, 2 glasses of Ladies day each Wednesday: book a bubbly and an appetizer Spa Manicure / Pedicure combination for $110 (a $160 value). Book 2 or more to share - $89 per couple Wine Tasting Wednesday treatments and receive 15% off (does not include manicures or pedicures). *Both specials must 5 courses paired with be for the same client, on the same day. wine. - $99 per person

Summer Spa Specials

Bear Lodge Bistro Hours Open 11 - 8 until Sept 3rd

The Tamarack Dining Room Open for dinner nightly 5 - 9 Check the website for our new Iconic Photo Spots Contest.

Avoid disappointment - call ahead to inquire about reservations and availability.

Check our website for Spa Menus, Hiking Info, Dining Menus and Accommodation Packages.

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1.250.423.3700 Follow: @islandlakelodge