FEBRUARY 2020 | ISSUE 158
THE Feature Resident Ev Eijsermans on how and why she co-founded the Elk Valley Suicide Task Force.
H E A RT
Things to consider when adding a furry member to the family in Val Lanthier’s “Bark Break.”
IS S U E
The potential of Oxytocin The Love Hormone in Dr. Taina Turcasso’s “Family Wellness.”
This month in “Elements of Movement,” Maddy Alaric shares her love of lunges. FERNIEFIX.COM
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WE ARE OPEN DURING THE WINTER - Thursday to Sunday! • Open for Lunch, Dinner, Dessert & Drinks. • Friday and Saturday Prime Rib Special Call for reservations. • February 14 Valentines Buffet Reservations Required. 2 seatings - 5pm & 7pm
RESERVATIONS CALL: 250-423-4115 • cookscateringsp@gmail.com Cast Iron Grill at the Fernie Golf Club
ET Hair Studio
FEB
FEBRUARY GIVEAWAY! Purchase any DESIGN ME product and enter to win a DESIGN ME gift basket with our favourite products
Registered Massage Therapy + Therapeutic Movement In Hosmer + Open 7 days per week Evenings and Weekends
cozyandwell.com
21-22 2020
www.ferniefilmfestival.com
Sarah Hobbs RMT
250-503-7964
462 2nd Ave., Downtown Fernie 250-423-4813
FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 158
EDITOR’S FIX | 5 BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY | 7 Business News/New Business It’s in the Numbers by Roman Rybar, CFP Family Day Financial Lessons
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT | 16 Feature Artist – Kelty Pelechytik ArtBeat - Hard Times in Bad Lands by Michael Hepher At Peace and Yet On Fire – Love at a Funeral by Sadie Rosgen Rental Fix – Ready or Not by Andrew Vallance
COMMUNITY AND EVENTS | 24 Feature Resident – Ev Eijsermans by Krista Turcasso City Corner with Guest Writer Aislinn Dressler - My Week in Parliament Planning Ahead - Love For Beginners by Kerri Wall
RECREATION AND OUTDOOR LIFE | 33 Hitting the Trails - Elk Valley Nordic Centre with Julie Kelly and The Elk River Trail by Brittney Tracey Prehab Challenge - Cross Country Skiing by Bob Maudie Fernie Mountain Mamas – First Love by Yvonne Prest
COVER: Look Way Up. Photo by Quentin Randall, @q_randall THIS PAGE: High on the Glacier at Fairy Meadows. Photo by Matt Lewis, @matl3photo
HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE | 39 Bark Break: For the Love of Dogs by Val Lanthier Family Wellness - Oxytocin: The Love Hormone by Dr. Taina Turcasso, N.D., R.M. Elements of Movement – For the Love of Lunges with Maddy Alaric A Look Down Second Ave – Coats, Coats, Coats! by Emma Polit This is Life by Tyla Charbonneau Ooey, Gooey, Mushy Feelings
BITS AND BYTES | 48 The Answer Guy – This is a RAID by Kevin McIsaac Astrology – February 2020 by Ashley Kristina
FERNIE FUN | 50 Fix Trivia
THE HEART ISSUE
Original Paintings by Fernie Artist Laura Nelson Opening Reception Saturday, Feb. 15, 4 - 9pm
February Events & Activities FEB. 8 & 9 - Jeep Junior Freeski Regionals (presented by SMITH & Rossignol)
FEB. 15 & 16 - Family Day Weekend Activities FEB. 15 - 21 - Family Week Night Skiing on the Mighty Moose FEB. 22 - Avalanche Awareness Day Live Music at the Griz Bar - Every Saturday & Sunday!
Mind - Body - Business - Life
Winter Weekly Activities
571 2nd Avenue (upstairs) left of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
www.FernieWellness.com
WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS - Yoga & Stretching THURSDAYS - Winter Fat Bike & Dine SATURDAYS - Kids Pool Party, BBQ & Movie Night SUNDAYS - Nordic Sunday ph: Rachel King Photography
250.423.2406 / snowschool@skifernie.com / skifernie.com
WEEKLY SPECIALS Sunday-Thursday - Happy Hour from 3-5pm Tuesday - Pasta & Wine $23 Wednesday - Half Price Ice Bar Open Daily 8 am - 10 pm
lizardcreek.com
PH: Henry Georgi
Acupuncture Fertility & Pregnancy Esthetics Organic Skin Care Registered Massage Therapy Relaxation & Hot Stone Massage Healing Touch Reiki - Yoga Eyelash Extensions Cosmetic Tattoo Life Coaching Bookkeeping Home Staging
TUESDAYS - Snowshoe & Dine
EDITOR’S FIX
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ove. A complex emotion explored through books, poetry, art and song for centuries. Discussed and debated in depth by theologists, philosophers, psychologists, and among friends and family.
My mom is Finnish, and she has admitted to always having a hard time using the word love. “There are so many ways to say it in my language,” she would say. Having briefly looked into it, I discovered 11 different ways to express love, all with different weights and meanings.
It seems more important than ever to be connected and to practice deep gratitude towards all of the things we hold dear to our hearts. Love may be complex, but as Tennyson so eloquently wrote, “tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Our families, communities and world are better for it.
Perhaps it is to our benefit to have this While it is agreed that many forms of love one word… as it forces us to step up and Krista Turcasso, exist, some characteristics are omnipresent. express our love through our actions. So Editor Affection. Respect. Trust. A general we vs. I. yes, I love mountain biking but how am I expressing this? I volunteer to support What I have always found so interesting our trail network. I love my daughters, is that in the English language, there is FERNIE FIX | FERNIEFIX.COM how do I show them? I am affectionate. I generally one word for love… giving it a Published monthly by Claris Media. To advertise and for listen and am genuinely interested (perhaps general inquiries: info@clarismedia.com lot of weight, or sometimes very little. I Box 1124, 361A 1st Ave. Fernie, BC V0B 1M0 love mountain biking, I love my daughters, intoxicated is a better word) in all things p: 250-423-4062. clarismedia.com relating to them. When it comes to Fernie, I I love Fernie, I love this coffee. For Editor | Krista Turcasso work hard at being a positive representative Creative Director | Vanessa Croome something so complex, why have no other Associate Editor | Kevin McIsaac of this community and to share this love words been created to allow us to more through the pages of this magazine. And appropriately express our feelings? All content copyright Claris Media. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publisher. coffee? Well, I support the coffee roasters and cafés that keep me caffeinated.
CONTRIBUTORS AISLINN DRESSLER is a grade eleven student who is the Youth Councillor for the City of Fernie. She loves to dance, travel, and hike with her dog Poppy. 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 KRISTINA has studied astrology for over twenty years and has been reading/teaching for five. For an in depth natal chart reading, email mountainashastrology@gmail.com. BOB MAUDIE is the owner and lead Physiotherapist at Fernie Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic. He has been known to ski 120 day a year, run on a fractured leg for two months, and not miss a day skiing through an ACL injury. He has learned a lot from his own stubbornness and would like to share his wisdom with the people of Fernie. BRITTNEY TRACEY is a local born, winter-hating ultramarathoner who spends her free time eating beef jerky and trying to get people out on the trails. She sits on the board for the Sparwood Trails Alliance and hosts their Thursday Night Run Club.
EMMA POLIT likes to wander the world, swim in the seas and ride in the mountains. You may also find her sipping margaritas and eating tacos. JULIE KELLY is the Manager for the Fernie Trails Alliance and loves spending time on the Fernie trails. KERRI WALL specialises 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. MADDY ALARIC is a lover of putting things down and picking them back up again, whether it be weights or her children. She loves inspiring people through her classes at Soar Studios and looks forward to sharing this love through her column, “Elements of Movement.” 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 in Western Canada.
Every month SADIE ROSGEN teams up with some of Fernie’s brightest young writers collaborating on a given theme. If you are reading this and think that you are that person, drop her a line at sadiepumps@gmail.com. DR. TAINA TURCASSO is a naturopathic doctor and midwife practicing in Calgary, Alberta. She spends most of her time catching babies, and is inching her way back to Fernie. TYLA CHARBONNEAU is a Registered Psychologist (CPBC2385), dog momma, and nature lover. She loves talking with others about mindfulness, self-compassion, and human nature. VAL LANTHIER is the Vet Tech behind local pet sitting and dog walking services, Pet Tech Care. For her, it’s animals all day every day, with a focus on how we can enrich their lives. YVONNE PREST wears a lot of hats: New mom, writer, teacher, councillor, chips and salsa fanatic. Her favourite hat is being a Fernie-ite.
ROMAN RYBAR has worked in the financial industry since 1996. He became a Limited Partner with Edward Jones in 2004. When he is not helping clients he can be found enjoying bike trails or manning the bbq for family and friends.
FERNIEFIX.COM
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43rd Annual
GRAM OFFICIAL PRO
43rd Annual
GRIZ DAYS Celebrating our Winter Heritage
ritage Celebrating our Winter He CITY OF FERNIE
20 March 6-8, 20 s.com www.ferniegrizday
CITY OF FERNIE BRITISH COLUMBIA
grizdays
@ferniegrizdays
Pick up an official program ails! around town for all event det
SMOOSHING RACES
MAIN STREET BED RACES
Smooshing Races will pit teams of four around an obstacle course on 2nd Avenue. Get your teams ready - drop-in registration!
Yes we have beds! Get your team together – 4 pushers and 1 rider – and hit the Main Street course! Register at info@ferniechamber.com
New to Griz Days 2020
CITY OF FERNIE
SNOW SCULPTURE DISPLAY AND WORKSHOP
GRIZZLY GRUEL CHALLENGE
Local Artists learn the art of snow sculpting at Fernie Alpine Resort. Vote for your favourites!
Grizzly Gruel offerings from local restaurants. Vote for your favourite! Tickets Required.
FERNIE SKI HERITAGE WALL OF FAME INDUCTION GALA Honouring pioneers, builders and sports leaders from the local ski industry.
March 6-8, 2020 www.ferniegrizdays.com
CITY OF FERNIE BRITISH COLUMBIA
grizdays
@ferniegrizdays
Business in the Valley
Elk Valley Suicide Task Force
O
n February 12, the Elk Valley Suicide Task Force is hosting an informational evening for anyone who is impacted by suicidal thoughts or by the death of a friend or loved one. This event will be held at the Park Place Lodge - Cedar Room at 6:30pm with a panel of speakers including representation from the RCMP, physicians, victim’s services, women’s centre, Fellaship, school counselling, child and youth mental health, psychologists, social workers, addictions, and a personal experience story.
NEW BUSINESS
VALLEY SUICIDE K L E TASK FORCE
it’ s
est. 2020
o k t o n o t b e o k!
Topics will include: the importance of talking about suicide, what going to the ER would look like, how RCMP responds, resources in the area for children, youth, and adults, and personal experiences. Those in attendance are invited to stick around after the panel to talk about their experience and perhaps to decide on the next steps for the task force. Visit their event page on Facebook at Elk Valley Suicide Task Force Information Meeting for more details.
Poku Acupuncture 571B 2nd Ave
Funky Goat Pizza bringthefunk.ca
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et Funk’d Up! Funky Goat Pizza is the new kid on the block in downtown Fernie. Bringing a funky fresh attitude the Goat offers fifteen signature pizzas as well as salads, chicken wings and a createyour-own option. The selections range from unique creations to spins SUBMITTED PHOTO on old classics. Contrary to popular speculation they don’t just have goat’s cheese! Gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options are available that put the label “dietary restriction” to shame. Since opening in October 2019 the phone has been ringing off the hook so get your order in early, especially on a weekend! Owners Jody, Ryan and Eric have found a home here in Fernie and are excited to become part of the community. Whether the powder is too good to make dinner, your kid’s birthday snuck up on you, or last night’s libations have kept you in bed, the Funky Goat is here for you.
I
n 2011, on the day Kimberly Salzgeber wrote her board exams she thought how excited she was to bring back to Fernie her new modality of ‘acupuncture’ to add to her already successful massage practice. Then life happened! Marriage, kids and nine years of refining her acupuncture skills, Kimberly is very happy to say she is back living in Fernie and opening a new acupuncture studio – Poku Acupuncture located at Inside Out Fernie Wellness in downtown Fernie. Kimberly’s love for learning and treating patients is her passion. She is so grateful for where life has taken her and she looks forward to sharing all she has learned with the incredible people of Fernie. To book an appointment or to learn more, visit poku.ca or email Kimberley directly at kim@poku.ca. FERNIEFIX.COM
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TAKE SOME TIME TO LEARN FIRST AID AND CPR. IT SAVES LIVES, AND IT WORKS. - Bobby Sherman
FEBRUARY FIRST AID AND SAFETY COURSES:
OTHER GREAT UPCOMING COURSES:
Foodsafe Level 1
February 7
Cannabis Processing for the Home Grow
February 8
St John Standard for Industry
February 10
Payroll
February 10
Confined Space Awareness
February 10
Introduction to Quickbooks Desktop
February 11
Transportation Endorsement
February 12
The Cloud
February 12
Hoisting and Rigging Safety
February 13
MS One Note
February 18
Red Cross Emergency Child Care & CPR
February 14
Air Brakes
February 21
Canadian Red Cross CPR A
February 18
Certified Lash Artist
February 22
Canadian Red Cross CPR C
February 18
Cannabis Regulations/Licensing
February 24
Rough Terrain Forklift
February 20
MS Excel Level 1
February 24
Canadian Firearms Safety Course
February 22
MS Excel Bundle
February 24
Occupational First Aid-Level 1
February 24
H2S Alive
February 26
Think. Do. Become.
For full information on upcoming courses or to register: Phone: 250-423-4691 or Visit: cotr.bc.ca/ConEd
Business in the Valley
BUSINESS NEWS
Cast Iron Grill 201 Fairway Drive 250-423-4115
H
SLOCAN RAMBLERS AT THE ARTS STATION | SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Arts Station 601 1st Ave 250-423-4842
K
icking off in February is The Arts Station Winter Concert Series featuring a range of performers from local and afar. There is something for everyone so check out the line up to find your jam or maybe come hear something new. The series includes different genres starting with classical from Lily String Quartet in partnership with Fernie Friends of Opera, at Knox United on Feb 8. Back at The Arts Station theatre on Feb 13 will be local acapella group The Audielles. Soul blues performer Cecile Doo Kingue returns in March, first featured at the Wednesday Socials in 2017 and was a firm favourite. Two Juno award winning groups The Fretless, and John Reichman and The Jaybirds hit the stage in April and May, both not to be missed! All tickets are available directly through theartsstation.com with a discount for Station Supporters. Thank you to Arts Station sponsors and funders Park Place Lodge, BC Arts Council and the City of Fernie.
usband and wife team, Scott and Penny Cook are the duo behind the Cast Iron Grill at the Fernie Golf Club. They specialize in home-cooked classic comfort foods like mom and grandma made. This winter they have once again stayed open to the public, bringing back their popular Sunday Supper Club featuring themed buffets twice a month. They also offer a Prime Rib special every Friday and Saturday evening. Reservations are encouraged! The Cast Iron Grill also provides a regular menu.Visit their Facebook Page at Cast Iron Grill at Fernie Golf Club. Open Thursday to Sunday from noon until close.
KIMBERLEY VLASIC PHOTO/FREE PRESS
Chronic Pain East Kootenay
T
he EK Division of Family Practice, with the support of Shared Care, is pleased to host two chronic pain specialists for a conference in Fernie on February 26 and 27, 2020. February 26, 5:15-9:30pm: presentations by Dr. Manak and Neil Pearson, physiotherapist, and a panel discussion for primary care providers.
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February 27, 3-5pm: FREE PUBLIC SEMINAR, Overcome Pain, Live Well Again, facilitated by Neil Pearson, open to everyone. February 27, 5:30-9:30pm: workshop on non-pharmacological pain management for health and allied health providers facilitated by Neil Pearson. The different presentations will take place at Park Place Lodge. Space is limited, please register online at painbc.ca/elkvalley. Other events for primary care providers organized through the Chronic Pain Project will take place in Fernie: WorkSafe BC workshop (March 6) and the 3rd session of the Practice Support Program. For more information, email acsawatzky@outlook.fr. FERNIEFIX.COM
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Business in the Valley
BUSINESS NEWS
ET Hair Salon, 462 2nd Ave 250-423-4813
L
ocated in downtown Fernie, ET Hair Salon offers cuts, colours, perms, facial waxing, LCN gel Nails, tanning, quality products and Bare Active Wear. This February, purchase any Design Me product and enter to win a gift basket of their favourite products! ET would like to welcome the newest stylist to their team - Mariane Morel. Mariane has had a passion for the hairdressing industry from a young age. She started to work in the industry early in her teenage years as an assistant and went on to graduate from hairdressing school SUBMITTED PHOTO in QuÊbec in 2015. Mariane offers many services such as family haircuts, barbering, colour services, highlights and balayage, as well as staying on top of the latest trends, product knowledge, and cutting techniques. She can’t wait to take her passion for the hair industry and pass it on to the client.
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Fernie Minor Hockey
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ernie Minor Hockey (FMH) is an amateur sports organization with pre-novice, novice, atom, peewee and bantam divisions. At the end of this month, FMH PreNovice division is hosting its annual Timbits Tournament, February 29 to March 1 at the Fernie Memorial Arena and they invite the community to come out and enjoy a game, cheer on their youngest players and contribute to FMH by putting your name in to win some prizes. There will be a raffle table, a 50/50 draw, and a concession with proceeds going back to the FMH. Games run Saturday 9am to 4:45pm and Sunday from 9:30am to 12:30pm, and teams include the Elkford Wild, Fernie Ghostriders 1 and 2, Sparwood Ice, Jr. Pronghorns Zombies, Lethbridge Red Steam, Lethbridge Pirates and the Taber Oil Kings. Visit fernieminorhockey.net for more details.
Business in the Valley
Fernie Mountain Film Festival ferniefilmfestival.com
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ne of Fernie’s classic community events is coming your way February 21 and 22. The Fernie Mountain Film Festival takes place at the Fernie Community Centre and, as usual, promises to offer two evenings of exceptional and diverse films. The festival is dedicated to filmmakers who spark awareness of mountain cultures, fragile environments, and the passion
and perseverance of global explorers. Although the final line up of films won’t be announced until just before the festival be assured there will be climbing and mountaineering films, kayaking films, ski films and films that highlight mountain culture. The annual photo contest, with big cash prizes, will begin in early February so get your favourite Elk Valley pics ready and check the web site for entry details. Tickets are available online, at the College of the Rockies and at the door. See you there!
Fernie Skating Club fernieskatingclub.com
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he Fernie Skating Club is an athletic fixture of our community, offering the Skate Canada’s flagship learn-to-skate program CanSkate, designed for beginners of all ages, as well as Junior and Senior programs and Synchronized Skating. Additionally, they host spring and summer camps. Annually, the Skating Club hosts its popular Carnival, where all members of the club have the opportunity to shine in a themed performance on ice. This year, for the first time the Carnival will be performed to live music by Fernie’s own Shred Kelly in “Skate to the Night” with each program having been choreographed to a song by Shred Kelly. Skate to the Night runs two evenings, February 7 and 8 at the Fernie Memorial Arena and is a family friendly event. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids seven and under. Visit their website or Facebook page at @fernieskating to learn more.
BUSINESS NEWS
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Play it Forward Sport Therapy playitforwardtherapy.com 250-430-1007
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lay it Forward Sports Therapy is excited to introduce Fernie’s newest Certified Athletic Therapist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), David Whelan. Originally from Ireland, David and his girlfriend Annie have been travelling in Canada and are excited to call Fernie their new home. They are excited to be shredding the Fernie powder this winter! Back home, David worked with St. Johnstone F.C., a professional soccer team in Scotland and he was the head Athletic Therapist for Waterford Camogie Team in Ireland. David has vast experience working with rugby, basketball, hockey, boxing and hurling (the national sport in Ireland). David provides excellence in Athletic Therapy and rehabilitation. Whether you are dealing with a sports injury, concussion, or are experiencing longterm chronic pain. David can help you enhance your recovery, relieve pain and prevent future injury. FERNIEFIX.COM
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Roberta Milne Registered Massage Therapist
250 278 0537 robertamilnermt@gmail.com ferniermt.com online booking available
First Green Circle Certified Salon in Fernie Book online www.sparrowhair.ca 250-423-7175 | 641 7th Avenue
Business in the Valley
BUSINESS NEWS
Sparrow Hair EST D 1998
641 7th Ave 250-423-7175
S & Located in the historic Livery building in downtown Fernie.
parrow Hair launched a unique recycling program this month that is designed specifically for the recycling of hair salon waste. Green Circle Salons, a B Corp certified company, diverts typical hair salon waste from landfill sites through a unique recovery and repurpose system. Sparrow Hair will collect SUBMITTED PHOTO and send waste such as hair, leftover hair colour, foils, gloves, colour tubes to the Green Circle facility where it will be cleaned and reused, and most importantly kept off our landfill site. “The Green Circle program is an extension of our commitment to protecting our environment and community in a responsible and sustainable way,” says Stacey Goldade, owner of Sparrow Hair. “We thank our customers for their support and encourage salon owners everywhere to onboard the Green Circle program at their salon.” For more information on the Green Circle program visit sparrowhair.ca.
INTERIOR DESIGN
Wild Heart Therapies
CUSTOM SOFAS W
WINDOW COVERINGS
LIGHTING
BE DD I N G UNIQUE GIFTS AND DÉCOR www.urbansettler.com 701 2nd Avenue, Fernie BC 250-423-0820
ild Heart Therapies is pleased to announce it will now be offering intravenous therapies. Dr. Melissa Fougere, ND will be joining the team in February. She has been practicing for six years and recently moved her clinic to Kimberley, BC and is excited to commute to Fernie twice a month. She has a masters in neuroscience and loves molecular IV therapy. This includes administering vitamins and minerals via intravenous drip or pushes. IV therapy bypasses the gut, therefore providing potent and more effective doses of nutrients right to the bloodstream where you SUBMITTED PHOTO need them most. This is a great way to see results quickly and is of benefit for mood, energy, immunity, detoxification, fertility and more. They welcome you to book a consult with Dr. Mel, or pop in and book a Vitamin push for the new year.Visit flowintegratedhealth.com for more details or to book online. FERNIEFIX.COM
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Celebrating Griz Days March 6–8, 2020 Teck is proud to support Fernie’s Winter Festival. We hope you safely enjoy the family-friendly festivities throughout the Elk Valley. For a full schedule of events visit FernieGrizDays.com. www.teck.com
Delicious, authentic Indian dishes eat-in or for delivery. Private parties & catering available. Offering off-sales for wine, liquer and beer. 301 2nd Ave, Downtown Fernie, BC
250-430-0399
OPEN
THURSDAY to SUNDAY 9pm to LATE $6 pints | Jugs of beer (32 oz) $10 Visit our facebook page for special events 301 2nd Ave, Downtown Fernie, BC
Business in the Valley
IT’S IN THE NUMBERS
Family Day Financial Lessons by ROMAN RYBAR, CFP
M
any people across Canada are celebrating Family Day this month – a chance to spend precious time with your loved ones and to reflect on how much they mean to you. If you’re a parent – or a grandparent – you might want to take the opportunity to share some important financial lessons with your young ones. After all, you’ve probably learned many lessons and have valuable wisdom to share about the basics of saving and investing. Passing all that knowledge along might make a big difference to your kids’ financial well-being in the future. Here are a few tips for getting your youngster off to a good financial start in life. • Teach them how to save – Many parents give children an allowance, but that should also come with an understanding of the difference between saving and spending.You might want to show them how to divide their money into two pools – one for spending and the other to be put into a bank account. If children earn extra cash by babysitting, mowing lawns or doing other chores, you could offer to match whatever funds they keep out of the spending pile and in the savings account. That’ll motivate them to save more. • Introduce them to the fun of picking stocks – Children are often fascinated by the idea of owning shares of a company. And the more they understand about stocks, the more interested they become. Consider playing a family “stock-picking” game. Everyone in the family could choose a diverse basket of 10 stocks to follow for a year. Then award a prize to the person whose stock portfolio has performed best. This is a good opportunity to teach the basics
STOCK PHOTO
of stock analysis, by examining the factors that caused some investments to perform better than others. And don’t underestimate your children’s ability to grasp fairly sophisticated concepts. Children love to learn.You might even take the stock market game a step further and give shares – but make sure they’re quality businesses with good prospects.You also need to be aware that there could be potential tax implications to this.* • Lead by example – Show your children how you save and invest. Explain how you saved to make a big purchase, like your car or house. And explain to them how you’re investing in their futures, such as for their post-secondary education. Stress key concepts such as setting objectives and making regular investments. These kinds of lessons can last a lifetime, equipping your children or grandchildren with the tools they need to become smart savers and investors. Edward Jones, Member Canadian Investor Protection Fund * Edward Jones does not provide tax or legal advice. Review your specific situation with your tax advisor and/or legal professional for information regarding, or issues concerning, the tax implications of making a particular investment or taking any other action. FERNIEFIX.COM
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Arts and Entertainment
FEATURE ARTIST
Nigel Moss Photo
Kelty Pelechytik I have always been obsessed with rare, beautiful objects that tell a story. Things that people value and that withstand time, that are passed on to be cherished and adored. It’s at the heart of what I love about jewellery: composing a final, unique piece of art for someone to love forever. For a long time, I couldn’t find a vocation that suited me perfectly. Out of school I styled fashion editorials in my hometown
then moved to Montreal and learned basic carpentry. Later, I went to New York to work for an art dealer and a gallery in Brooklyn and then to England to work for another gallery which dealt in antique picture frames. Every step of the way my appreciation for what makes objects endure deepened. I thought I could one day collect rare objects to resell — things like posy rings, for instance, inside of which people inscribed secret messages to their beloved, particularly in the 15th to
17th centuries — but I wasn’t sure where I would find the capital. Eventually, I came to Fernie “for a season,” and like most people, I ended up staying. I ski raced as a kid and I remembered driving into Fernie with my closest friend and her family, looking for fresh powder, and now I had just had a daughter and wanted her to have some of these same memories. Early on I met Bill Bell, a retired teacher
and metalworker, and spent some time with him exploring his methods. I was amazed by his process — from panning his own gold, to building his own tools, to crafting and finishing every item. He taught me how to work with metal and gave me the confidence to invest in myself. So, last year, with my daughter entering kindergarten, I sold my house and invested the money into equipment and materials. 2020 is a very exciting year for me. I’ve acquired some very rare portrait diamonds — a cut so clear the diamond appears like a sheet of glass, and so rare I was on a waitlist for nearly a year to buy them — with which I’ll be making a modern take on Georgian-era lover’s eye jewellery. In the 19th century, people declaring their love to one another, or carrying secret relationships, would gift each other jewellery set with miniature paintings of their loved one’s eye beneath the stone — precious to them, but unidentifiable to anyone else — to wear on rings, necklaces and brooches, a way to keep the person they held dear intimately close. The Prince of Wales started the tradition because he loved a Catholic he was forbidden from marrying. Only about a thousand original lover’s eyepieces survive today. It’s the kind of project that is a dream for me: honouring a historic tradition, sourcing miniature artists, and in this case collaborating with the gracious help of a local potter, Helena De Jong. I make most of my pieces through a process called “lost wax casting,” one of the oldest traditional methods of creating jewellery — objects made in this way have been found in archaeological digs, dating as far back as 3700 BC. I like to combine artisanal methods like this one with both antique stones and stones cut in more modern shapes, for a very particular look. There’s excitement and risk to the crafting of every piece because it’s an act of creation: every new item is one of a kind. My guiding principle is to make the kind of objects I would be drawn to if I saw them: works that are clearly handmade, not necessarily flawless, but which evoke particular feelings and express an individual personality. I want my pieces to be subtle and durable enough to wear daily but meaningful enough to pass down to your grandkids. It’s also important to me to work responsibly: 100 percent of my products are and always will be ethically sourced and sustainable. As the year starts I have a handful of items on sale at the Artworks in Edmonton, which is one of the city’s institutions — for them to carry my work is a dream come true. And I’ll be hosting a pop-up in Fernie later this year, to start sharing my work directly with the community that has made it possible for it to exist. A portion of every sale is donated back into our community or a foundation that helps save our planet.
Visit keltypelechytik.com to learn more about Kelty and her jewellery. FERNIEFIX.COM
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Y A M A G O Y A
Arts and Entertainment
Hard Times in Bad Lands
complex beauty. Love is a universe of emotion and we sit with headsets on, listening for signals from the distant constellations.
by MICHAEL HEPHER
It seems to me that artists are born with, or acquire through experience, a particular kind of vulnerability. Our work requires us to face our own truths daily, which leaves us open and tender but undaunted on our journey. Along the way, our role is to reach into the cosmic bucket of emotions, scoop out a healthy dose and roll it into a single-serving size for the consumption of those around us. It is in art that we express the echoes of those moments when we are stopped in our tracks, overwhelmed, and rearranged. If we are open to it, that echo is passed down to the viewer in a domino effect that scatters art-truths in the wake of our tumbling and heart-bricks.
A
few years ago I borrowed a friend’s car for a road trip. As I wound my way up the Kootenay Pass, the only music available was a stack of unmarked, burned CDs jammed between the seats. As I cycled through those discs each new track was an adventure. Cresting the summit a newto-me song bubbled out of the speakers, and the opening lyrics cut me to the quick: “These chords are old but we shake hands, ‘cause I believe that they’re the good guys…” In seconds I was too overwhelmed to concentrate on driving—I had to pull over. There were tears welling up in my eyes and my heart had that ache-joy thing you get when you hear something so beautiful it hurts and fills you with life at the same time; “...we can use all the help we can, so many minor chords outside. I fell in love with the sound, oh, I love to sing along with you…” I listened to the song three times until the magic faded and my heart returned to normal size, but the wonderful damage was done. A brick had been pushed out of the wall around my heart and I knew it would never fit back in again. I knew that for a moment the vast, loving universe had slid open a window and showed me some overwhelming truth that left me altered; “...we’ve got tunes we kicked around, some. We’ve got a bucket that the tunes go through.” Humans have long wrestled with the concept of love. We all instinctively know what love is and can recognize it in many forms when it arrives in our lives, and yet we cannot come up with an agreement on what it is, exactly. Like trying to describe a star in the night sky; sometimes you can see clearer if
ARTBEAT
DETAIL FROM ‘LANDSCAPE WITH FOUR CORNERS’ BY LES GRAFF
There simply are too many things in our world we don’t yet understand, so it is often left to the artists to cobble together an impression of the glimpses we get in hopes that what we pass on will be felt or seen by others. you don’t look directly at it. Our blunt daytime seeing tools are not practical for describing the subtleties of night. We have to come at love obliquely in forms that speak with emotional nuance: poems, paintings, songs—it is only then that we can comprehend the beauty and tragedy involved, and even so, we can only ingest tiny morsels. Like the night sky, it is only over a lifetime of gazing up that we can begin piece together its vast mosaic of
Great art has the ability to serve as a Polaroid photo of a moment when the universe itself was vulnerable—briefly tipping its hand towards one human. Being open to great art means being available to respond to the small and large truths being presented to us through the medium. There simply are too many things in our world we don’t yet understand, so it is often left to the artists to cobble together an impression of the glimpses we get in hopes that what we pass on will be felt or seen by others. As we are confronted daily with hatred, divisive politics, and trolled on social media, we need to care for our ability to let these waves of truth in, if only to preserve our hope amidst the noise. Art in this age is a necessity that keeps us believing in ourselves and loving each other by reminding us of our connections and similarities.You may disagree, but I knew it to be true as I sat there on the side of the road staring out into the universe: “Babe we both have dry spells, hard times, in bad lands—I’m a good man, for you.” Song lyrics from “Good Man” by Josh Ritter. FERNIEFIX.COM
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Arts and Entertainment
AT PEACE AND YET ON FIRE
Love at a Funeral by SADIE ROSGEN
I
met Lenore Rosgen when I was working at Riverside Value Drug Mart in Drumheller, Alberta, where I grew up. She was always quick with a funny jab or a sweet smile. She often accompanied her husband Richard who was on oxygen at the time, a charming gentleman farmer not far from town. I would joke with her that I was going to marry her grandson to which she would retort, “Oh, will you? Which one exactly?” She and Richard had nine children of their own and numerous grandchildren. I would beller back, “the one that looks like Brad Pitt!” What can I say? I was brazen, bold, and was practicing the Law of Attraction, a concept that was completely foreign to the Roman Catholic family I was threatening to marry into.Years later when I married her grandson we would laugh and tell the story in tandem, acting out our parts accordingly. Lenore, now grandma, and I always made time for debate. We made time for hot tea and stories of her childhood. We made time together not because we were close or had many things in common but because we were family. She would challenge me on my religious beliefs, my lifestyle, my motivations, and I would challenge her on the very same. In her 96 years on earth, she had witnessed the impossible; the Great Depression, man landing on the moon, the invention of the television, the internet! Upon leaving her home after our many visits, she would lean in and gently say, “take care of yourself, you’re mine.”
Love at a Funeral by Sadie Rosgen, inspired by Lenore Rosgen
opium for the masses the serotonin factory is open for business but this time? waves of salty holy water wading through a church of sorrow
Heaven can WAIT
homily the powder priests’ hands like spires directing her upwards
usher your blessings to the dead breathing reality surreal nightmare
Ritual Repeat Chant Repeat Sing Ritual Repeat
lend me an ear so many years reeling in fear “How on earth do we go on without her here?” time stands still in the valley unforgiving prairie wind the immaculate quiet matriarch departing
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Arts and Entertainment
Ready or Not by ANDREW VALLANCE
R
eady or Not is a horror film full of dark humour and over-the-top gore. It is directed by Americans Matt BettinelliOlpin and Tyler Gillett. Bettinelli-Olpin is an actor, screenwriter and director, while Gillett is a cinematographer, director and writer. The two have worked together producing films in the horror genre since 2012 when they produced V/H/S, a moderately successful effort. Gillett had previously produced Books, a film that won him an award at the New York Television Festival in 2011. The two directors had less success with their 2014 production Devil’s Due, while BettinelliOlpin gained recognition for his 2016 film Southbound. In 2019 the two seem to have finally found the formula for a truly successful horror film. Ready or Not has received generally positive reviews from critics and nominations for best picture at a number of Film Festivals. The film stars Samara Weaving as Grace, a newlywed who visits her wealthy in-laws at their luxurious estate only to find out that the family has a wedding night ritual that involves a game of hide-and-seek that could end in her death. Samara Weaving (niece to Hugo Weaving of Lord of the Rings fame) is an Australian actress and model who began her acting career in the Australian soap opera Out of the Blue (2008) and gained prominence with her portrayal of Indi Walker in Home and Away (2009-2013), a series which has had notable former cast members such Heath Ledger, Simon Baker, Guy Pearce and Naomi Watts. Weaving has since had starring roles in the series SMILF (20172019), The Babysitter (2017), and Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018). She is scheduled to be in the third movie in the Bill and Ted franchise, Bill and Ted Face the Music. She has received praise for her performance in Ready or Not.
Filmed in Canada this movie features a number of Canadian actors including Mark O’Brien, John Ralston and Kristian Bruun. O’Brien, who plays the groom, has had supporting roles in the Showtime series City on a Hill, the AMC series Halt and Catch Fire, and a number of minor films such as Bad Times at the El Royale and Arrival. John Ralston plays the Butler, the most competent of the villains in this movie, and Kristian Bruun, best known as the sympathetic and incompetent husband, Donnie, in
THE RENTAL FIX
the television series Orphan Black, plays another of the groom’s relatives. Also starring in the cast of this movie is Andy MacDowell, who plays Grace’s future mother-in-law. We haven’t seen MacDowell on the big screen for a while. She is probably best known for films that she made in1990s. She was in Four Weddings and a Funeral where she played Hugh Grant’s poorly drawn love interest, and in Hudson Hawk, she played an equally uninspired character, the girlfriend of Bruce Willis’ dashing bank robber character. Her most memorable role was as Rita, Bill Murray’s boss and love interest, in Groundhog Day. Her performance in Ready or Not is passable, although to be fair, she isn’t given much to work with. This is a good movie, an expertly written black comedy that is well worth the price of admission. Two thumbs up.
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Community and Events
FEATURE RESIDENT
Ev Eijsermans by KRISTA TURCASSO
L
ate last year, our Fernie family lost someone dear to our hearts. He was always there, at every gathering, every pow day, every bike ride, every holiday. Unbeknown to us, he was suffering from mental illness and in November he died by suicide. Since the moment we heard, I have watched as his closest friends have struggled to come to terms with this, wishing there was more available to assist in processing and grieving. At the time, Fernie Women’s Centre had recently begun a men’s support group called Fellaship - a safe and inclusive group for men to connect and support one another. In December an individual at hospice started asking, “what’s going on?” recognizing the mental health crisis in the Valley. After having reached out to resources, three individuals (Eveliene Eijsermans of Victim’s Services, Chris Charbonneau of Fellaship and Tyla Charbonneau of Alpine Pathways Psychological Services) decided to form the Elk Valley Suicide Task Force. This brought a sense of relief to me, and I immediately reached out to learn more about the Task Force and one of its founding members, Eveliene Eijsermans. Eveliene (Ev) is originally from the Netherlands, where she attended university studying criminology. “I wasn’t considering anything but finishing school, finding a job and getting a career,” she tells me. “Then I met Rob, and he showed me that there was more to life than following ‘the herd’ and society’s expectations.” The couple decided to travel to Canada, so they worked towards that over a year and with a one-way ticket and a one-year work permit, they were on their way. “We gave up everything, moving here with just a backpack of our left-over belongings.”
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Landing in Vancouver, they travelled to many ski resorts and applied here and there, and in the process met a Fernie local (Matt Brazeau) who tipped them off on this great mountain town. “He said ‘don’t miss Fernie!’ and after a few weeks of travelling we ended up here.” Ev was ambitious, knowing that she would likely need a management position to receive sponsorship. She applied for the position of Manager at the Pub, taking a chance as she had no management experience. The Sombrowskis were looking for someone with two years experience, but saw the masters degree on her resume and gave her the benefit of the doubt.
Having come to Fernie for the summer, they were both surprised by and enamoured with winter. “I stayed for the winter, and have come to embrace it because of its endless opportunities and backcountry access… something I had no idea existed. Like, a whole other world opened up to me.“ In the the Spring of 2018, Ev received residency due to the sponsorship from the Pub. “I knew hospitality wasn’t my answer or goal, so I quit and decided that I want to live here, I’m a resident, I have this experience, but I want to pursue my degree and career again. I gave myself a year to figure it out.”
Within a week, a friend informed Ev of the Victim Services position with the RCMP. “I thought about it for a month, and didn’t think I could get it with a masters from the Netherlands. Two days before the deadline (on my birthday!) I realized I would never forgive myself if I didn’t try. I ended up getting the job, and to date it is still mind blowing. To land a job like this, where I want to live. A job that is very meaningful to me.” Ev has been in this position since the fall of 2019, and admits that it is a whirlwind, learning as she goes. “It’s been a positive experience so far. If you’re a victim of a crime, you are grateful for any help, information, and support. It makes a huge difference.” This position covers Jaffray to Elkford. “Any crime-related victim is offered this support by the constable who shows up to their incident. A sudden death, suicide, or assault requires me to be there right away or the day after. It’s not mandatory to accept help, but it can take stress off of them.” This position has helped Ev to recognize that many in our community have no idea what else goes on here. “Fernie is a community like any other, there is domestic violence, deep depression… these past six months have been challenging as I’m suddenly hearing life stories I had never come across prior.”
This willingness to be involved is not new to Ev - she has put her hand up to give back to our community since the day she arrived. But she admits it is not always easy and there can be challenges living in Fernie. “Our community is so inspiring and I am very involved, whether it be Wapiti, the run and bike scene or in past through hospitality. It is in my nature to listen to my human drive for connection. Besides or even despite this, Fernie and the Valley can also be an incredibly lonely place. This is a place where people come and go, have moved to away from their family. It can be hard to establish those connections. You can be as involved in the community as you want, but it won’t take away that sometimes it feels like it’s just you.” Ev and the Elk Valley Suicide Task Force invite you all to attend the Information Evening this February 12, 6:30pm in the Cedar Room at the Park Place Lodge. Be a part of the conversation and help them to provide resources to support residents in the Elk Valley through mental illness and suicide. 1. When did you first arrive in the Valley and what brought you here? In May, 2014 and what brought me here was the search for a different lifestyle and definitely the outdoors.
It was a few months into this new position that the member of Hospice reached out. Ev and Tyla had both considered starting something independently but the weight of it was too much to bare on their own, and thus the Elk Valley Suicide Task Force was born.
2. Who did you first meet?
“Our first goal is the information event this February 12, to show people that it’s okay to talk about suicide and to open up the conversation and let people know what the resources currently are. From this evening we will see what the need is. We want to create resources like crisis lines, a critical incident debrief group. We could take so many different roads, this is just the first step.”
Ya, because of the interview at the Park Place on the highway I didn’t realize there was a downtown. Coming from Europe and its market squares and old buildings… I wasn’t quite sure. I didn’t see Fernie’s potential as I had no clue.
Technically Matt Brazeau, but not in Fernie. In Fernie… Gordon Sombrowski. 3. Do you remember your first general impression of Fernie?
involvement I’ve created for myself. And that here in Fernie, it’s important who you are and what you stand for.You can be yourself. 5. Do you have a favourite Fernie pastime? Riding my bike. I love riding my bike. 6. What time of the year do you love most in Fernie, and why? I think the spring because that means I can run and bike again! 7. Where do you see or hope to see Fernie in five years? You know what, I really hope to see that it continues to evolve… I know it needs to grow, but I hope to see it solve some of its current issues in regards to housing and employment. And to remain the vibrant place it is, where locals can live their yearround outdoor lifestyle… that we attract the tourism in the seasons that we need it, but also enjoy the off seasons where the town is ours. 8. How do you start your day or what is one of your daily rituals? I don’t really have a routine, but one thing I do on a daily basis is workout… crossfit, ski tour, run… 9. Tell us something people might be surprised to learn about you. That I’ve been trying to figure out sarcasm since I was born, and moving to an English speaking country means I have to start all over again. Six years in Fernie, and I’m slowly getting there. Let’s just say it’s the most hilarious thing to my friends. 10. Quote to live by: Carpe Diem. It’s something my dad would always say when I was little.
4. What keeps you here? Well my outdoor lifestyle together with the connections I’ve made and the FERNIEFIX.COM
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February 2020 MONTHLY EVENTS SATURDAY 1.2.2020 Mighty Mugs @ The Arts Station, 10am FatFest @ Sparwood Golf Club, 1pm. 5 or 10km fatbike race, zone4.ca Fernie Meat Draw @ The Legion, 4pm Judgement Night III @ Fernie Community Centre, 7pm Brick Haus Live @ The Royal SUNDAY 2.2.2020 Mighty Mugs @ The Arts Station, 10am Super Bowl Sunday Session @ The Legion, 12pm Super Bowl @ The Fernie Hotel, 4:30pm Winter Tracking and Stalking @ Fernie Provincial Park, 2pm with Wild Nature Tours Snowed In Comedy Tour @ The Northern, 2pm TUESDAY 4.2.2020 Fernie Knit Wits - Knit and Crochet Club @ Starbucks, 6:30-8pm monthly meeting WEDNESDAY 5.2.2020 Watercolour, Pen and Ink @ Elkford Art Studio, 5:30pm THURSDAY 6.2.2020 Waiting Day @ The Fernie Hotel and Pub Centennial Square Winter Street Party @ Sparwood, 4-6pm FRIDAY 7.2.2020 Homeschool Friday @ Fernie Heritage Library 1pm. Fun with Ukuleles WildKat Comp - Men’s and Ladies Bonspiel @ Elkford Curling Club, weekend-long event. Jeep Jr.Freeski Comp @ Fernie Alpine Resort Sam Steel Duo Live @ The Loaf, 6pm Fernie Friends of Opera Screening: Die Tote Stadt by Korngold @ The Arts Station, 6:30pm Skate to the Night Fernie Skating Club Carnival @ Memorial Arena, 7pm with live music by Shred Kelly Return of the Dojo with Guests Donald Bump, Funkin’ Right and DLB @ The Royal, 9pm SATURDAY 8.2.2020 Elk Valley Bulls Rugby Hosts 6 Nations Rugby Championships @ Fernie Curling Club, 1pm. Ireland vs. Wales, Scotland vs. England. Cash bar. Drawing with Liza @ The Arts Station, 1pm Ladies Snowmobile Riding Clinic @ Elk Valley Snow Shepherds, two-days Jeep Jr. Freeski Comp @ Fernie Alpine Resort Lily String Quartet Concert @ Knox United Church, 8pm Ukranian Dinner @ Elko Parks and Recreation, 4:30pm Skate to the Night Fernie Skating Club Carnival @ Memorial Arena, 7pm with live music by Shred Kelly Full Moon Nordic Ski and Social @ Elk Valley Nordic Centre, 7pm Silent Disco - Calgary vs. Fernie DJs @ The Royal SUNDAY 9.2.2020 Jeep Jr. Freeski Comp @ Fernie Alpine Resort Winter Survival Skills @ Mount Fernie Provincial Park, Wild Nature Tours, 2pm Indie Film Fernie: Mickey and the Bear @ The Vogue Theatre, 5pm 9th Annual Wedding Fair @ St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino, 10am MONDAY 10.2.2020 Lunch and Learn: Outbreak @ Fernie Seniors Centre, 12pm hosted by the Fernie Museum
City of Fernie Regular Council Meeting @ City Hall, 7pm WEDNESDAY 12.2.2020 Senior Storytime for All Ages @ Rocky Mountain Village, 1pm THURSDAY 13.2.2020 Write It Down: Leap! @ Fernie Heritage Library, 6:30pm Poker Tournament @ The Legion, 6:30pm The Audielles in Concert @ The Arts Station, 8pm FRIDAY 14.2.2020 Club Cre8 No School Friday @ The Arts Station, 9am “I Got You Babe” Storytime and Sweets Potluck @ Heritage Library, 11am AST 2 @ Stay Wild Backcountry Skills, three day course Fernie Ghostriders Hockey Game @ Memorial Arena, 7:30pm Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Dinner and Dance @ Cast Iron Grill at the Fernie Golf Club, 5pm Stargazing Snowshoe Fondue @ Mount Fernie Provincial Park, Wild Nature Tours 7pm Freak Motif Live @ The Northern, 10pm Valentine’s Day with Goat Sauce @ The Royal SATURDAY 15.2.2020 Corbin Vintage Snowmobile Poker Derby @ Fernie Snowmobile Society Opening Reception @ Inside Out Wellness, 4-9pm Night Skiing on the Might Moose @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4-9pm Liquid Silence Live @ The Griz Bar, 3pm Family Dance Party with Jayray @ The Central, 4-7pm DJ Freddy J @ The Royal, 9pm The Dudes and Surf Dads Live @ The Royal, 10pm Aaron Halliday Live @ The Legion, 7:30pm SUNDAY 16.2.2020 Old Type Music Society Slow Pitch Jam @ Fernie Heritage Library, 3pm Family Nordic Ski and Social @ Elk Valley Nordic Centre, 4pm Night Skiing on the Might Moose @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4-9pm Liquid Silence Live @ The Griz Bar, 3pm Family Day Party @ The Royal, 9pm MONDAY 17.2.2020 Night Skiing on the Might Moose @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4-9pm TUESDAY 18.2.2020 City of Fernie Committee of the Whole Meeting @ City Hall, 1pm Night Skiing on the Might Moose @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4-9pm WEDNESDAY 19.2.2020 Night Skiing on the Might Moose @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4-9pm Fernie Chamber of Commerce: Business, Banter and Beer @ Century 21, 5:30pm THURSDAY 20.2.2020 Night Skiing on the Might Moose @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4-9pm PJ Story Time: Alligator Pie @ Fernie Heritage Library, ages 3+ and caregivers Beautea Night @ Infinitea, 6pm
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FRIDAY 21.2.2020 Homeschool Friday @ Fernie Heritage Library 1pm. Book/Movie Club 14th Annual Fernie Mountain Film Festival @ Fernie Community Centre, 6pm Mountain Social, 7pm showings begin. Night Skiing on the Might Moose @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4-9pm Fernie Ghostriders Hockey Game @ Memorial Arena, 7:30pm Carissa Gem @ The Royal SATURDAY 22.2.2020 Avalanche Awareness Day @ Fernie Alpine Resort Drawing with Liza @ The Arts Station, 1pm Community Fun Nordic Race @ Elk Valley Nordic Centre Night Skiing on the Might Moose @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 4-9pm 14th Annual Fernie Mountain Film Festival @ Fernie Community Centre, 6pm Mountain Social, 7pm showings begin. Fernie Ghostriders Hockey Game @ Memorial Arena, 7:30pm Space Camp @ The Northern, 10pm The Devil’s Son @ The Royal SUNDAY 23.2.2020 Sunday Supper Club: Italian Buffet @ Cast Iron Grill, 5pm or 7pm. MONDAY 24.2.2020 City of Fernie Regular Council Meeting @ City Hall, 7pm The Inaugural Miss Fernie Drag Pageant @ The Royal, 9pm WEDNESDAY 26.2.2020 Senior Storytime for All Ages @ Trinity Lodge, 1:30pm Chronic Pain: Let’s Get Better @ Park Place Lodge, 5:15-9:30pm Presentations, workshops and panel discussions for health providers. THURSDAY 27.2.2020 Art and Pizza Night @ Elkford Art Studio, 5pm Chronic Pain: Let’s Get Better Public Seminar @ Park Place Lodge, 3-5pm Chronic Pain: Let’s Get Better @ Park Place Lodge, 5:15-9:30pm Presentations, workshops and panel discussions for health providers. Gallery Opening: Scandinavia to Canada: A Journey in Art by Annika Collombin @ The Arts Station, 7pm FRIDAY 28.2.2020 Tea and Talk Book Club @ Fernie Heritage Library, 1:30pm The Frontiers Live @ The Northern, 10pm SATURDAY 29.2.2020 Clay as Canvas II (Mono Print) @ The Arts Station, 10am two-day course Elk Valley Bulls Rugby Hosts 6 Nations Rugby Championships @ Fernie Curling Club, 1pm. Italy vs. Scotland, Wales vs. France, England vs. Ireland. Cash bar. Sly Violet Live @ The Griz Bar, 3pm Leapyear Party @ The Royal Best Leap Year Party Ever with the Mountain Magic Tour @ The Northern, 10pm featuring Small Town DJs
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February 2020 WEEKLY EVENTS
DINING, NIGHTLIFE and SPECIALS MONDAYS Gourmet Pizza Night @ Boston Pizza Pool Tourney & Tacos Special @ The Pub Lasagna Specials @ Elk Valley Pizza Shoppe $8 Meals @ Infinitea Ladies Night @ The Northern Local Jam Night @ The Kodiak Lounge Monday Mayhem with Goffles @ The Royal Store and Tasting Room Open @ FBC Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Pizza Specials @ Fernie Pizza and Pasta Kick Off the Week Americano Specials @ Freshies Jam Night @ The Rusty Edge, 4pm Happy Hour @ Cirque, 3-5pm TUESDAYS Pasta Night @ 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 Store and Tasting Room Open @ FBC Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Toonie Tuesdays @ Freshies Pizza Specials @ Fernie Pizza and Pasta Happy Hour @ Cirque, 3-5pm Pasta and Wine Night @ The Cirque WEDNESDAYS 1/2 Off Wings @ Boston Pizza Wine Evenings @ The Brickhouse Trivia Night @ The Fernie Hotel Wing Night @ The Northern Wax On Wednesday @ 901 Spa
OUTDOOR & FAMILY
MONDAYS Dominoes, Duplicate and Mahjong @ Seniors Centre Indoor Walking @ The Community Centre Ladies Only @ Fernie Old School Boxing Parent Tot Funtimes @ Fernie Family Centre Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Active Fit @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 8:40am Drop-In @ Elk Valley Gymnastics, 11-12pm for ages 0-4 Strong Start @ IDES, 9-12pm for ages 3-5 (Mon to Fri) Pickle Ball @ Fernie Community Centre, 10am Adult Shinny @ Memorial Arena, 8:45am Les Tiguidous @ AFRoS Office, 11:15am ages 0-4 Club Baguette @ Isabella Dicken Elementary School, ages 8-12 3:15pm, French Games Club Baguette Adultes @ AFRoS Office, 7pm, French conversation for adults CBAL Drop-in Learning @ Fernie Fresh Food Share, 11am with free lunch, technology and more 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 Free Guided Meditation @ Soar Studios Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Gentle Fit @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 10:30am Teens Drop in @ Elk Valley Gymnastics,7:45-8:45pm Strong Start @ IDES, 9-12pm for ages 3-5 (Mon to Fri) KinderGym @ Fernie Family Centre, 10-11am Pickle Ball @ Fernie Community Centre, 7pm Adult Shinny @ Memorial Arena, 8:45am Public Skate @ Memorial Arena, 10:30am Family Connections @ Isabella Dicken School Snowshoe and Dine @ Fernie Alpine Resort Lego Club @ Fernie Heritage Library, ages 7+ 3:45pm Nanny Network @ CBAL, 9:30am Free Adult ESL Class @ CBAL, 6pm
Store and Tasting Room Open @ FBC Zak’s Jam Night @ The Royal Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Coffee With a Friend @ Freshies, two for one coffee Wine and Beer Specials @ Sushi Wood Taro Readings from 7pm @ Infinitea Featured Burgers @ The Pub and Bistro Restaurant Wine and Beer Specials @ Sushi Wood Happy Hour @ Cirque, 3-5pm Waffle Cone Wednesdays @ Happy Cow, buy a regular or kids scoop and the waffle cone is free Half Price Ice Bar @ The Cirque THURSDAYS Buy Two Appies, Third for Free @ Boston Pizza Jam Night @ The Brickhouse Featured Pub Burgers @ Max Restaurant & The Pub Burger and Beer Special @ The Fernie Medium Pizza Special @ Elk Valley Pizza Store and Tasting Room Open @ FBC Pub Team Trivia @ The Pub Bar & Grill Thirsty Thursdays @ Kodiak Lounge Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Create Your Signature Mocha @ Freshies Cocktail Specials @ Infinitea Fundamentals of a Wellness Lifestyle @ Infinitea, 7pm Happy Hour @ Cirque, 3-5pm Two for One @ Happy Cow FRIDAYS Rib Night @ Boston Pizza Fish & Chips @ The Pub Bar & Grill Meat Draw and Members Draw @ The Fernie Hotel Fish & Chip Night @ The Pub Live Music @ Loaf, 6-9pm Outdoor
Seniors
Kids
Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Live Music @ Infinitea Prime Rib Night @ The Old Elevator Chinese Restaurant DJ Jim Paul @ The Fernie Hotel and Pub Happy Hour @ Cirque, 3-5pm Prime Rib Special @ Cast Iron Grill SATURDAYS Meat Draw & Bar Quiz @ The Legion Coffee and Baileys Special @ The Bridge Bistro Pint Night with Overtime Beer Works @ Infinitea Roast Dinner and Natty Light Special @ The Pub Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Large Pizzas for the Price of a Medium @ Boston Pizza Early Bird Breakfasts @ Freshies Dragon Cod Fish Night @ The Old Elevator Central Saturdays @ The Central with DJ Sweet Irie, 10pm Live Music @ The Griz Bar Open to the Public @ The Smokehouse Prime Rib Special @ Cast Iron Grill SUNDAYS Kids Meal Specials @ Boston Pizza Caesars on Special @ The Brickhouse Mini Jugs and Caesars @ The Fernie Hotel Sendy Sundays @ The Pub Caesars Special @ The Bridge Bistro Happy Hour @ Loaf, 3-5pm Pizza and Beer Specials Dinner Buffet @ The Indian Kitchen, Stanford Inn 4-9:30pm Early Bird Breakfasts @ Freshies BBQ and Beats @ Infinitea, 6-9pm Sunday Skool DJ @ The Fernie Live Music @ The Griz Bar Happy Hour @ Cirque, 3-5pm
Arts Station
WEDNESDAYS Crib, Gentle Exercise and Tai Chi @ Seniors Centre AA Meetings @ The Anglican Church Basement 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 Café @ CBAL office Celebrate Recovery @ Mountainside Church Drop-In @ Elk Valley Gymnastics, 11-12pm for ages 0-4 Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Active Fit @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 8:40am Adults Drop in @ Elk Valley Gymnastics,7:30-9pm Yoga @ Lizard Creek Lodge Strong Start @ IDES, 9-12pm for ages 3-5 (Mon to Fri) Unpredictable Wednesdays @ Ghostrider Adventure Riders, 5:30pm KinderGym @ Fernie Family Centre, 10-11am Cyber Seniors @ Heritage Library, 1:30-2:30pm Fernie Youth Art Collective @ The Arts Station, 6pm Badminton @ Fernie Community Centre, 7pm Open Studio Time @ The Arts Station, 7-9pm. Adult Shinny @ Memorial Arena, 8:45am Parent and Tot Skate @ Memorial Arena, 10:30am Skate and Shoot @ Memorial Arena, 1:15pm FMBC Fat Bike Ride @ Bike Park Gazebo Fernie Youth Art Collective @ The Arts Station, 6pm Free Adult ESL Class @ CBAL, 9:30am (childcare provided) THURSDAYS Morning Yoga, Drop in, and Cards @ Senior’s Centre RC Club @ Fernie Community Centre Mixed Senior Recreational Boxing @ Fernie Old School Boxing Bellies to Babies @ Fernie Women’s Centre Open Roller Skating @ Max Turyk Gym Indoor Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Gentle Fit @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 10:30am Kid’s Café @ Mountainside Community Church, 9:30-11:30am. Everyone welcome! Strong Start @ IDES, 9-12pm for ages 3-5 (Mon to Fri) Baila Baby - Latin Dance @ The Arts Station, 10am for kids under five
Swim
Skate
Library
Other
Latin Dance @ The Arts Station, 7-9pm Pickle Ball @ Fernie Community Centre, 10am Adult Shinny @ Memorial Arena, 8:45am Public Skate @ Memorial Arena, 10:30am Family Connections @ Isabella Dicken School Fat Bike Ride and Dine @ Fernie Alpine Resort Knits and Knots @ Fernie Heritage Library, ages 9+ 3:45pm Baby Goose @ CBAL, 9:30am, parents and kids 0-18 months Winter Running Club @ Stag Leap Running, 6:30pm FRIDAYS Cribbage @ Seniors Drop in Centre Jitney Darts @ Fernie Legion Toddlertime Ages 0-2 @ Fernie Heritage Library Storytime Social @ Library, 11:15-12:45pm ages 0-5. Adult Heels and Pump @ Solebeats, 8pm for 18+ Strong Start @ IDES, 9-12pm for ages 3-5 (Mon to Fri) KinderGym @ Fernie Family Centre, 10-11am Home School Fridays @ Fernie Heritage Library. 1-3pm Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Active Fit @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 8:40am Gentle Fit @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 10:30am Public Skate @ Memorial Arena, 12pm (No School Fridays) and 6:45pm Free Adult ESL Class @ CBAL, 9:30am (childcare provided) SATURDAYS Karma Meditation Class @ Essential Yoga Studio Open Climbing @ Evolution Prenatal Yoga @ Essential Yoga Yoga and Stretching @ Lizard Creek Lodge Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Public Skate @ Memorial Arena, 2pm and 6:45pm Kids Pool Party and Movie Night @ Lizard Creek Lodge Night Skiing on the Mighty Moose @ FAR, 4pm SUNDAYS AA Meetings @ The Anglican Church Basement Public Swimming @ The Aquatic Centre Drop-In @ Elk Valley Gymnastics, 3:45-4:45pm ages 5-12 Public Skate @ Memorial Arena, 2pm Nordic Sundays @ Lizard Creek Lodge FWOW Fat Bike Ride @ Bike Park Gazebo, 12pm FERNIEFIX.COM
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A Modern Approach to Mine Design Innovation is at the heart of everything we do. We are incorporating new technologies into our mine design to protect water resources, maintain critical wildlife habitat, and allow for early reclamation activities.
in fo @n o rt hc o a l.c a | 7 7 8 .5 1 8 .0775
n o rt h c oal. c a
Community and Events
CITY CORNER
RICHARD COOPER PHOTO
My Week in Parliament by GUEST WRITER, AISLINN DRESSLER
A
s Youth Councillor for the City of Fernie, I was surprised to learn that it meant that I had the opportunity to go to the British Columbia Youth Parliament (BCYP). After applying in early November, I received my letter of acceptance and was thrilled to represent Fernie at the 91st Session of BCYP. I was even more surprised to learn this organization was founded in 1924 and known as the Older Boys Parliament! Thankfully today the BCYP has grown to include diverse members who represent all areas of the province. Every year members aged 16 to 21 meet in the Legislative Buildings in Victoria where they debate and pass a variety of legislation and Private Members Resolutions.
...the British Columbia Youth Parliament has grown to include diverse members who represent all areas of the province. The parliamentary session is only one small part of what members partake in during the year. The main mandate of BCYP is “youth serving youth” with members taking part in and running various service projects in BC. The main service projects of BCYP are Regional Youth Parliaments (RYPs) and Camp Phoenix. RYPs are smaller scale events of BCYP that aim to educate 14 to 18-year olds on parliamentary procedure and debate. Camp Phoenix is a camp run for youth ages eight to 12 who would not normally be able to attend camp due to financial or social circumstances. Both of these projects are run by BCYP members. For Camp Phoenix, this means that BCYP members volunteer to run the camp for the week of August 24. Hence, the mandate of youth serving youth.
There are many highlights of this experience for me, most notably meeting BC’s own Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin and touring the Government House in Victoria. For me, debating bills as well as Private Members Resolutions (PMRs) was such a cool experience. One of the PMRs was that BCYP should support a ban on non-critical single-use plastics. This was an interesting debate and was passed by a vast majority of members. BCYP is also an opportunity to meet many interesting people and enjoy memorable activities every night of the Session. This experience has left all of us with many positive memories, and I was inspired to see so many engaged youth despite the camp being over Christmas break! It has also motivated me to recruit members from Fernie to participate in the Regional Youth Parliament, and of course, encourage everyone to understand how legislation is passed! FERNIEFIX.COM
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Community and Events
Love For Beginners
Practicing empathy Empathy is the capacity to care about or understand the experience of another person. We are born with an innate ability to be empathetic, but it will only flourish in the right environment. The good news is, we can recover this essential skill and build our empathy muscle if it doesn’t fully develop.
by KERRI WALL
Is love an action? A feeling? An attitude? Has anything in the history of civilization ever been written about, wondered about, or questioned as much as love? The following article will not solve this mystery of the universe, but rather share some relevant ideas about what love does and doesn’t look like with teenagers. The opposite of love Every school-aged young person knows about bullying. They have seen it, experienced it, or been warned of its dangers. Bullying is an emotional or physical attack. It can be an objective phenomenon, a subjective perception, or both. For example, we might watch a teenager yell to a girl as he rides past on his bike, “don’t fall over chicken legs!” His actions are an observable fact – he has mocked her and name-called. Is it bullying? Perhaps. The girl’s reaction also provides some information. If she rolls her eyes and thinks, “get a life,” as she continues on and forgets about the incident – does she feel bullied? It would be something different if this were a continual dynamic between these teens that eroded the girl’s self-esteem by the day. Bullying is usually ongoing targeting, and it results in the victim feeling powerless and tortured. It can look like picking on, exclusion, threats, making fun, and/or physical abuse. Bullying happens when we are old and young, but can be especially difficult when teens intensely feel a need to be accepted. Maybe you have been the focus of a bully’s attention, and know what it’s like to have your stuff thrown around or a room of people laughing at you. Do these actions feel loving? Let’s turn the whole scenario on its head.
PLANNING AHEAD
The award-winning Canadian program Roots of Empathy is taught in classrooms around the world. I was a Roots of Empathy teacher over a decade ago in North Vancouver and facilitated interactions between pre-teens and a baby (the mom was there too!) for a whole school year. V. CROOME PHOTO
We are born with an innate ability to be empathetic, but it will only flourish in the right environment. The look of love Imagine a group of teens approaching a kid eating alone. One of them asks, “Hey where are you from?” The new boy replies, “Penticton. I moved here last week.” Another person asks, “How come?” while someone else wants to know, “How do you like Fernie so far?” They get into a conversation about the pros and cons of changing high schools, and a member of the group says, “We just thought you might be lonely here by yourself,” and then they spend the whole break chatting together. While this might seem ‘normal’ to some readers, or ‘unusual’ to others, there are different adjectives we could use to describe this interaction. What about ‘friendly?’ Perhaps ‘warm’ or ‘accepting’ or ‘curious’ come to mind.
In Roots of Empathy, the students come to understand and openly love ‘their’ baby, and express a greater ability to see the point of view of another person. The program was created as an antidote to bullying. Teenagers learn what they live Do you remember that old poem from the ’70s called Children Learn What They Live? I had an aunt who displayed it on her refrigerator, and as a child, it seemed like a no-brainer. “If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn… If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.” These things are still true. What kind of lessons do the most powerful people promote nowadays? If you want that girl just grab her by the p***y. To get a pipeline constructed simply ignore the provincial legislation to uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. If we want our children to learn something different, there is work to do. I want all teenagers to experience true warmth, curiosity, and the sense that empathy is ordinary. For young people love is pretty black and white: don’t be a bully; be a friend by acting like you care.
FERNIEFIX.COM
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2020 Resolutions - Ski More / Work Less!
Polar Peak Lodge Pre-sales of Phase 8.
Timberline Lodge Full or fractional shares available.
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Elk Valley Realty
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Real Estate, Personal Injury, Civil Litigation, Criminal Defence, Family Law, Business and Corporate, Wills and Estates Fernie Office 592-2nd Avenue P.O. Box 369 Fernie, B.C. V0B 1M0 T: (250) 423-4497 F: (250) 423-6714
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Recreation and Outdoor Life
Fernie - Elk Valley Nordic Centre
get a little bit of a break before getting into the Galloway loop. I like to ski it counterclockwise. There is a nice variety of climbing, flats and downhills. Once you get back to the start of the Galloway loop it’s another climb back out but you are rewarded with a fun descent down the Runt. It’s a great opportunity to practice your cornering.
by JULIE KELLY, FTA
T
he second annual #ferniestreak was a great success with 262 members. Wow, so many people love our trail network! The challenge was to get 30 minutes of human-powered activity outside for the 31 days. Participants were all over town walking, running, hiking, biking, nordic skiing, dog walking and lots of shovelling was done! The City of Fernie, Stag Leap Running Co, Fernie Nordic Society, Fernie Mountain Bike Club, Alpine Pathways Psychology, Fernie Fix and Fernie Trails Alliance all worked together to make this happen.
Elk Valley Nordic Centre Distance: Approx. 10km Time: 1- 1.5 hours Level: Intermediate
Sparwood - The Elk River Trail by BRITTNEY TRACEY
W
ith the month of “streaking” and resolutions over it can be hard to stay motivated, to keep things going and stay in love with your activities, trails and town. Sometimes things start to feel a bit stale and that longing for warmer days starts to set in. We have the antidote! We have a ton of fresh and quiet trails if you get sick of your usual haunts. Our groomed trail network provides the perfect playground for fatbiking, running, snowshoeing and more. With our second annual FatFest Fatbike race taking place on February 1, there’s a lot to love about Sparwood Trails!
HITTING THE TRAILS
V. CROOME PHOTO
One of my favourite places to #ferniestreak all winter long is at the Elk Valley Nordic Centre. I love how close it is to town and the serenity of the Provincial Park in the winter. I like to get right into it heading over the Teck bridge up the Grunt. Yes, that’s right it’s a bit of work! You
After crossing back over the bridge I take a sharp right and ski the Cedar loop counterclockwise. I normally then head back up to the hut and do some skill work with and without poles. If you have time it’s a nice treat to sit in the hut by the fire for a little R&R and get warmed up. We definitely need it after some of the cold streaking days. Have a great winter and don’t be afraid to show your love for the trails my donating to the Fernie Trails Alliance on our website - fernietrailsalliance.com.
The Elk River Trail in Sparwood Distance: Approx. 5km Time: 1 hour Level: Beginner This month’s featured trail is the Elk River Trail. It’s a popular, beginner-friendly lollipop style loop that’s wide enough to haul the wee-ones in a chariot and get the whole family out. It can be accessed at the trailhead by the walking bridge on Matevic Road, where you can head out and do a big loop, a shortened loop or a combination of the two. The entire loop runs about 5km for the whole thing with only 20 metres of elevation gain, but you get nice quiet trails with views of the river and the ridge.You get to feel like you’re out of town without leaving town. This trail would be great for beginners, people new to winter sports, or anyone looking for an easy day outside. The perfect loop for running, biking, skiing, snowshoeing or whatever winter sport you can invent.
Keep up to date with us on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s coming up and to share photos of our trails. Get out there and fall in love with a new trail today. FERNIEFIX.COM
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Recreation and Outdoor Life
PREHAB CHALLENGE
Cross Country Skiing by BOB MAUDIE
C
ross country skiing has grown exponentially in Fernie the past five years. The Elk Valley Nordic Centre and Montane Network have been developed, adding to the existing Golf Course, Fernie Alpine Resort, and Island Lake Lodge trails. There is something for everyone (and dog) and every ability now in the valley. Local ski shops have also gotten onboard stocking classic and skate ski equipment for all sizes. I was recently talking to a “newbie” Australian patient about going cross country skiing. She had never heard of it! I was kind of blown away by this. She went on to ask, “Why not just walk on the groomed snow?” “Well, a guy named Pat will suddenly appear and explain why!” Joking aside, this got me thinking… why do we cross country ski? Why not just walk or run? My conclusion is it’s the simple joy you get from sliding on the snow. Something like catching a wave to the Aussies. This slower motion sliding sport rarely sends any people into Physiotherapy. In fact, it is usually the first sport we recommend people do in the winter to get back into skiing after injury. However, it is a sport that many people LOVE doing and yet most are shockingly terrible at. I can count on one hand how many good cross-country skiers there are in Fernie. Generally, cross-country skiing Fernities struggle with the balance needed to ski smoothly and instead look like they are just trying to sidestep out to Snake Ridge! When assessing patients in the physiotherapy setting, I am always shocked at how poor most people’s balance is. In order to glide on snow, you need to be able to balance on one foot. If you are interested in making your cross country skiing a little smoother, and possibly a little more enjoyable, give these exercises a try. Disclaimer: If you have pre-existing medical conditions/injuries, pain with these exercises and/ or uncertainty on how to do them, please seek help from your Physiotherapist.
Exercise 1. Single-Leg Roman Dead Lift This is a great exercise to train your balance as well as strengthen your feet, hips and core. Throughout the exercise keep your weight evenly between your big toe, little toe and centre of your heel. Start by moving your right leg back keeping tension in your core and hips. Aim to make your spine and moving leg one straight line. Moving slowly and controlled move into a marching position on your right hip to finish. Performing ten repetitions per side without touching the ground is a good goal. Add hand weights or kettlebells to increase the challenge.
Exercise 2. Side Plank Raise In order to have good single leg balance, you need to have strong hips and core. This exercise will challenge both! Start position should feel relaxed, raise up into side plank and hold for 3 seconds before lowering. Aim for 5 to 15 repetitions per side. And for those of you who may actually be overdoing the cross country skiing, on the opposite page are a few stretches to keep you limber throughout the winter.
ELK VALLEY
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Exercise 3. Inner Hamstring Stretch The adductors and inner hamstrings do a lot more work in skate skiing than in classic skiing. Give this stretch a try if you have been skate skiing frequently. TIP! Bend forward from your hips, avoid rounding your back. Aim for holding this for 1-2 minutes. Slow down your breathing and relax into the position.
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Exercise 4. Lats/triceps stretch The lats and triceps are muscles heavily used in cross country skiing. Tightness in these muscles can affect your low back and shoulders. Using a strap or towel assist your upper arm coming down your back. Then lean into a wall to get your lats more of a stretch. Hold each side for 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 times per side.
Remember to put your butts in the trash and not on the ground! Even if you’re in town, snow removal will take your cigarette butts to unintended places. Fernie Secondary Students picked up over eight hundred cigarette butts from one short stretch of the Elk River last spring.
www.evcnpvoice.com FERNIEFIX.COM
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HAVE YOU SEEN THE FOX?
FIND A FOX, TAKE A PHOTO, SHARE IT ON SOCIAL
#THEFERNIEFOXHUNT
Check Facebook for all our events this month!
'kitchen always open'
In
a
i fi n t e
T
-B
ar
&
Bou
ti q u e
Infinitea this February Licenced Lounge, all ages, homestyle cooking, board games, musical instruments 0pen noon-late every day except Tuesday
Monday's Free Movie Night 7pm $8 Meals. Free popcorn. Wednesday's Tarot reading's from 7pm Thursday's All 2oz Hot & Cold cocktails $8 - Beautea Night Feb 20th 6pm $15 massages/manicures Friday's Live music from 8pm Saturday's $5 pints from Overtime Beer Works (rotating taps) Sunday's $10 Roast Dinner 6-9pm (book!)
Book a party at Infinitea ph # 778-519-5258
The Royal
Your place to party this February Jan 30th - Hot Chilli and the Turtlenecks Feb 1st - Brick Haus 7th - Donald Bump, FunkinRight, DLB + Guests 8th - SILENT DISCO - Huge lineup of Calgary vs Fernie DJs 14th - Valentine’s Day with Goat Sauce 15th - Freddy J 16th - Family Day Long Weekend Party 21st - Carissa Gem (Shambhala, Bass Coast) 22nd - The Devil’s Sons (Edmonton) + guests 24th - Miss Fernie Drag Pageant 28th - TBA - check Facebook for details! 29th - Leap Day Party with 4on4on
Happy hour/free pool 9-11pm every night, $4.50 drinks
Located on 5th St downtown
Open 9pm-2am Mon-Sat
501 1st Ave, Fernie, BC
Recreation and Outdoor Life
FERNIE MOUNTAIN MAMAS
First Love by YVONNE PREST
M
y son was born just shy of Valentine’s Day. The first article of clothing to adorn his body was a red knitted toque with a white heart on it, donated to the hospital by caring volunteers. His first experience of the world, besides utter shock I assume, was one of love. Warm, soft and cozy love. This emotion is as essential to a baby’s health as air, shelter and a relentless supply of their Mama’s house white. Sorry, Ms. Turner, love is not just a second-hand emotion, it is everything.
Studies have proven that a home lacking in love can increase stress levels in children and negatively affect their growth. Their bodies go into survival mode, constantly high on adrenaline, as they do not feel safe. Receiving genuine affection and care strengthens a child’s well-being adding positive benefits to not only their physical health but to their cognitive development as well. Amidst our busy modern schedules, it is crucial that we make time to shower our children with love. Unconditional, unending love. Love that is given without any expectations in return. Love requires action. There are many ways that parents can show love to their children at any age. Infants receive love through being held, and through hugging and cuddling. Through playing and laughing on the floor together through games. Holding hands on walks through the woods. For older children, love can be experienced by spending a day together on the hill. Through remembering and celebrating key moments and milestones. Even when your teenager is pushing you away and shouting, “I hate you!” That is the moment to love them even more. To take a deep breath and hold a space of calm for them. In the end, there are a million ways for children to be appreciated, and no one way is better than the other.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
How to love is a learned behaviour. As parents, now more than ever, my partner and I are conscious of our own relationship and how we model romantic love. Our relationship is not perfect, I’m not sure if any partnership is, but we are committed to making it the best that we can through open communication, trust and support. We also know the importance of having fun together and making time to be on our own. As much as we do not like to be regimented, it is so important to pencil in time together or a date night. Our happiness will only increase the happiness of our child and show him what it means to actively love another.
and fearlessly give it to another. To love without fear of authentic expression. To love without fear of vulnerability. And most significantly, to love without having to compromise or hide who he is. I will encourage him to wear his heart on his sleeve and let love in. Through love, we learn who we are, and that is the most valuable lesson of all. Happy Valentine’s!
Are you also a Fernie Mountain Mama? Please feel free to share your outdoor adventures, family stories and photos by writing to ferniemountainmamas@gmail.com, or hashtag #ferniemountainmamas to encourage more parents to take their little ones outdoors and My dream for my son is to never ever doubt that he is loved for exactly who he is. share in all the fun that Fernie has to offer. That he can take this love and confidence FERNIEFIX.COM
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Sparwood
PO Box 490, Suite 202, 502 Third avenue Fernie, BC V0B 1M0 Tel: (250) 423-4446 | Fax: (250) 423-4065
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Health and Lifestyle
BARK BREAK
For the Love of Dogs by VAL LANTHIER
L
oving a dog may be different than a human, but it’s certainly not subpar. The beauty in their inability to verbally communicate with us is that instead, we naturally develop an emotional connection on a different level than those who we can share words with. Dogs are loyal and that in itself is an expression of love. Mix that with all of their other adorable traits and you’ve got unlimited combinations of unique bonds that naturally form between us and them. On the topic of love, I can’t speak for others but I can easily talk about my own dog. Although he’s not with us anymore, Chief was my Bernese Mountain Dog, an extremely affectionate breed. Almost everything they do revolves around loving you, from purposely sitting or laying directly on your feet, to passing back and forth through your legs, to hugging your leg with their paw and pulling it in tightly when you least expect it. If they’re not close to you, they’re resting somewhere within sight of you, always. Berners are the epitome of real-life lovable teddy bears! All these captivating characteristics make dogs very desirable and they have become unusually easy to obtain, which isn’t exactly a good thing for their sake on such a large scale. In a world of consumerism, we are becoming more and more aware of what our dollar supports in the purchases we make, although it’s not common practice when it comes to getting a dog, even though they are living beings with makes it even more important to be aware. Each way of obtaining a dog supports very different industries. Understanding what you’re supporting can help make decisions that are in their best interest as a whole. Dogs are easy to breed so there are all kinds of breeders out there, but let’s start
RAVEN EYE PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO
Dogs are loyal and that in itself is an expression of love. with responsible breeders. The word responsible sets them apart from other types by having one very important standard in place - an agreement that the dog must be returned if they can’t be kept. They will also have other important standards, like carefully screening adoptive homes to minimize the use of the return policy, not breeding frequently or as a means of income, health testing to avoid genetic issues, and a spay and neuter agreement. Responsible breeders create a lifelong connection with the adoptive homes and would never sell a puppy through a pet store or other means without that connection. They always prioritize the best intentions leading to happy healthy dogs and avoid the risk of them ending up in shelters, rescues or being posted on the internet. Without these standards in place, the result in breeding dogs is vastly
different. In fact, it creates an industry that is the exact opposite which contributes to many of the problems we face around pet overpopulation, among other issues. Shelters and rescues operate on a different level but even some of them practice similar standards as the results are much more in favour of betterment for the dogs. Whether it’s through a breeder or not, giving away a dog or obtaining one without that connection yields much higher risks of consequences and ultimately, it’s the dogs who are the most impacted. We each play a very important role in that outcome from the moment we start looking at ways of getting a dog. When you start considering a breeder vs a shelter or rescue vs someone posting their puppies or dogs online, know what you are supporting and make a responsible decision. Look for those standards and those connections. Do it, for the love of dogs.
FERNIEFIX.COM
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I DESIGN TRIANGLE offers fine European cabinetry with the most advanced technology
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Health and Lifestyle
For the Love of Lunges by MADDY ALARIC
T
here are plenty of variations to choose from when it comes to lunges, a movement that can be done in the comfort of your home requiring no equipment. Whether you’re pressed for time, new to working out, have a sleeping baby, or just want to start moving, the lunge is a staple that is effective and efficient. When we think of a lunge, many people assume the standard front-facing variation of stepping forward and dropping the back knee. In actuality, there are plenty of styles to consider. Reverse, side, jumping or walking to name a few. A personal favourite is the baby weighted version, which can be spiced up by holding baby on one side while lunging with the opposite leg. The lunge can be used in just about any workout whether the goal is to increase strength, hypertrophy or endurance. It’s a great movement for improving muscular imbalances that develop from something as benign as constantly leaning to one side
Things to Avoid: • arching through lower back • twisting through pelvis • stance too long
Side Lunge
ELEMENTS OF MOVEMENT
while standing to overuse in sports such as • Pelvis travels straight up and down. biking, snowboarding or skiing. In other • The core is braced. Not arching through words, most people in Fernie can greatly the lower back. benefit from incorporating lunges into their day regardless of the activity level or style. • Feet are far enough apart to give balance and control when moving up and down. Through unilateral movements, we are able to create balance, allowing us to move better and feel more alignment in our day to day life. A person looking to build strength has the option to load the lunge via dumbbells, barbell, sandbag or a heavy home object. Alternatively, if the goal is to increase endurance, a person could stick with bodyweight as it allows for longer duration and a higher volume of reps. That being said, I personally feel that we don’t always need to do high reps at a low weight to see success when it comes to improving endurance. Slow negatives, pulses or pauses are a great way to add variety and keep it interesting from one training session to the next. Once we have clearly established the foundations of a basic front or reverse lunge, the option to incorporate a second movement such as a step up, squat or jump provides new possibilities to your training. Review this checklist for a few key points when completing a lunge. Things to Avoid: • rounded back • short stance • gaze downwards • knee too far forward
• Stability through the feet. The front heel is fully grounded with the knee over top of the ankle. Once you feel comfortable with your lunge form, try this workout either at home or in the gym. 2-3 Rounds. Alternating Legs • 20 front lunges • 20 reverse lunges • 20 side lunges • Rest 30s to 1min Make it Spicy • Replace reverse lunges with jumping lunges • Add a 4th round
Things to do: • braced core • gaze forward • stable foot • proper knee position
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Health and Lifestyle
Oxytocin: The Love Hormone
prevention/management of postpartum hemorrhage. There appears to be some potential in a nasal spray that has been used in the majority of human studies so we will see how that translates to mainstream use in the coming years.
by DR. TAINA TURCASSO, N.D., R.M.
O
xytocin is a hormone and neurotransmitter, produced in the brain by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. It is perhaps best known for its involvement in childbirth and breastfeeding but its actions and potential benefits go far beyond the period of childbearing. It is controlled by a positive feedback loop where release of the hormone causes an action that stimulates further release. Oxytocin is also associated with empathy, trust, sexual activity, and relationship-building in both sexes. Because of this association, oxytocin is often referred to as the “love hormone.� What does this mean for you? What are the benefits of higher levels of oxytocin and what are some ways you can increase your own level of oxytocin? Perhaps the most common use of synthetic forms of oxytocin is during the labour process as a method of induction or augmentation as well as postpartum to prevent or treat excess bleeding. Oxytocin, both naturally occurring and synthetic, acts by stimulating uterine contractions necessary for dilation of the cervix and assisting in pushing the baby through the vaginal canal. Through these contractions, it also helps to expel the placenta after the delivery and closing off blood vessels in the uterine wall to control bleeding once the placenta is out. Oxytocin also increases production of prostaglandins which further increase the strength and frequency of contractions and the progress of labour. During breastfeeding, oxytocin acts to promote ejection of the milk from the breast (milk-ejection reflex). Interestingly, the act of breastfeeding itself or any type of mother-infant bonding results in an increase in oxytocin production. In men, oxytocin plays a role in sperm movement and the production of testosterone.
FAMILY WELLNESS
STOCK PHOTO
While oxytocin is so important during the process of labour and delivery, it also has other functions and researchers are discovering more all the time. Oxytocin improves social interaction by increasing trust and generosity, increasing empathy, and decreasing the fear response, improves sexual health, improves mood by evoking feelings of contentment and trust and improving social anxiety, prevents neuroinflammation and thus protects neurons in the developing brain, and moderates appetite. In addition to these effects that have been supported by human research, there are some suspected roles that have been indicated in animal research including assisting with drug addiction by potentially inhibiting the development of tolerance to drugs such as cocaine, opiates and alcohol, and reducing withdrawal symptoms. There is also some suggestion that oxytocin may be connected to metabolism and the gut as well as the cardiovascular system. Conversely, low oxytocin levels have been linked to autism and autism spectrum disorder. Oxytocin has also been proposed as a possible treatment for social phobia and postpartum depression. Currently, synthetic oxytocin is only approved for a few uses, typically only labour induction/augmentation and
Even under ideal circumstances, synthetic oxytocin would still be needed as a tool both during labour (or to induce labour) and postpartum, but there are some ways that you can optimize the amount of oxytocin produced and thus be more likely to both go into labour and have a normal, progressive labour. These include sexual activity as well as cuddling, touching, and falling in love. Interestingly, soothing music, positive social encounters, eating with a group of close friends/family, warm showers/temperatures, yoga, massage, exercise, and petting dogs (and other animals) can all increase oxytocin release. Limited human trials suggest that the scent of both jasmine and lavender could potentially increase oxytocin resulting in trust and relaxation. Some nutrients that could potentially increase oxytocin release and function are magnesium, which is required for oxytocin to function, and vitamin D which binds to the genes that produce the oxytocin receptor and an oxytocin precursor. Some studies have suggested that vitamin D deficiency may increase a baby’s likelihood of developing autism due to a lack of oxytocin. Some early animal studies have indicated that some strains of probiotics may increase oxytocin release as well as caffeine. Oxytocin is a complex hormone and we are just beginning to understand its effects and the implications of low circulating amounts. What we do know is that birth typically progresses better when undisturbed and when women are surrounded by loving support people, and that our lives are richer, fuller and healthier when they include a community of family and friends who we regularly spend time with, who we touch, and who we love. FERNIEFIX.COM
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Health and Lifestyle
THE RUSTY GRAMMAR JACKET
Coats, Coats, Coats! by EMMA POLIT
W
hat does your entryway look like? If it’s anything like mine, it is overrun with approximately 20 coats. There are four of us living under our roof, and each one of us has a coat for every winter occasion. From fall to spring, the up and down weather patterns mean that you have to be prepared for all conditions – pow days, rainy day, unseasonably warm days, days that you are going for brunch, days when the margaritas and patacones at Nevados are calling your name. Of course, you can have just one jacket, but where is the fun in that? Is there even such a thing as a onecoat-for-all? Maybe that magical jacket is out there, but I doubt that would suffice in Fernie, unless you don’t ski or snowboard, then perhaps you could get away with it. Maaayyybe. I’ll try to include it in my ongoing investigation! When I ventured downtown, I was thinking that I knew what I was going to find but was pleasantly surprised by the variety. I could have written about 20 different coats, but I picked just five. I tried to go with a variety, and give you a fabulous sampling of the coats available in our sweet little town. Remember, #shoplocal.
A LOOK DOWN SECOND AVE
COASTAL TIDE JACKET
If you’re looking for one coat to do it all, then your best bet is the Walk on by 5K Parka from Volcom (available at Edge of the World). With serious warmth factor, this long coat is sherpa-lined and features quilt stitching details throughout. It offers a weatherproof coating to protect against wind and rain, is available in army green or black and has a great cut that will help take you from daytime to a wintery night without missing a beat. It’s like the perfect parka! The Coastal Tide Jacket from Boardstiff is part of Rip Curl’s AntiSeries - anti-cold, anti-wind, anti-rain. It is designed to keep you warm on the coldest days with down-fill for extra warmth on the coldest days. The jacket has been treated with DWR and has concealed seams to help it be water repellent. The bonded fabric helps reduce wind chill, and a soft polar fleece lining within the hood, and the upper internal body keeps your core warm in cold conditions. It holds up in the style stakes, and it’s a puffy jacket that fits perfectly (not Michelin man style). Sounds like a winner! If you read this column often or know me at all, you will most likely know that my love for the ‘90s runs deep. The Rusty Grammar Jacket, which is available at Edge of the World, makes all of my Offshore Music Festival ‘ultimate outfit
VERO MODA TEDDY COAT
dreams’ come true. I mean, it’s a gorge camel oversized cord jacket with a sherpa lining. I feel like this jacket will go perfectly with jeans, a skirt or a long dress – almost anything! The Kavu Deer Haven from Elevation Showcase is the jacket that you pull out on that beautiful spring day when the sun is out, it feels so warm (even though it’s only two degrees) and you’re feeling bright and cheery with the promise of the long days to come. It’s insulated, a great thigh length, and has a large hood, which makes it an excellent choice for those breezy walks and will bring colour and coziness to your next adventure. The Vero Moda Teddy Coat from Freyja Boutique is a favourite around town for a reason. The teddy trend has been a staple for a couple of years now, and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere soon. Warm, cozy and cute – you can’t go wrong! Throw a band t-shirt underneath and pair it with a pair of jeans, and you have yourself a killer outfit. I came across many more gorgeous jackets. Especially sherpa jackets. It was hard to pick just one of those – Commit had an allblack one that, if it weren’t for my 90’s surf town nostalgia, would have made the cut. Happy coat shopping! FERNIEFIX.COM
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Health and Lifestyle
THIS IS LIFE
Ooey, Gooey, Mushy Feelings by TYLA CHARBONNEAU
H
ow are you? Good? Good is not a feeling, so how are you really?
It is February, the month of love and connection, and all things happy. And we are all supposed to be happy all the time, right? As a kid, I was sold a little bit of a lie. The romantic movie princess lies about happily ever after. As a psychologist, I learned the truth, happily ever after does not exist in this form. In fact, this idea of being happy all the time is setting us up for failure because it simply is not possible. What comes with this lie is an inability to be in touch with our wide range of emotions. To be able to name them, lean into them, and give ourselves permission to feel each emotion, including sadness, and yes, even anger. I mentioned to a friend my article this month would be about feelings and she said, “Ew, why?” This is a common reaction but consider this, on average we have access to naming three emotions, happy, sad, and mad. What we need to be highly functioning humans is access to at least twenty-seven (Cowen & Keltner, 2017). This deficit of emotional intelligence or striving to be happy all the time can create a pressure cooker of emotions. When we avoid certain emotions, they do not go away, they just get stored for later. When we lose our cool it has nothing to do with being cut off in traffic or the garbage not being taken out. It is all the emotions we avoided that day screaming, “let me out!” Acceptance and commitment therapy (see Harris actmindfully.com.au/) embraces the idea that life has struggles, and through observing our thoughts, mindfulness, and self-compassion we can learn to lean into emotions and accept them as they come. With time and practice, the outcome is a more balanced and stable life.
V. CROOME PHOTO
...life has struggles, and through observing our thoughts, mindfulness, and self-compassion we can learn to lean into emotions and accept them as they come. To increase your capacity to be in touch with your emotions follow these simple steps: • Google an emotion wheel, print it out, and keep a screenshot on your phone, here is an example: positivepsychology. com/emotion-wheel/ • A few times a day stop and ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now?” Use the emotion wheel to find the correct word, it may surprise you what shows up. • Take a deep breath and check in with what the emotion feels like physically, do you feel muscle tension or an increased heart rate? • Take a moment to check in with your thoughts, what are my thoughts attached to this emotion?
• Now, this is the hard part for many of us, tell yourself that you are allowed to feel this emotion and lean into it for a few moments. • Practice a mindfulness activity or say some comforting words for yourself including “I can handle this emotion,” or “It is okay for me to feel this way.” • Move on with your day working towards avoiding the massive under the rug or pressure cooker pile-up of ignored emotions. I read a quote recently by Lori Deschene founder of tinybuddha.com. “We can’t just choose to be happy, but we can choose to be kind to ourselves when we are sad. Pain passes more quickly when we don’t berate ourselves for feeling it.” So, in this heart month challenge yourself to acknowledge that as human’s we have feelings whether we ignore them or not, naming them and accepting them allows us to build greater connections to ourselves and to others. The content provided in this article is for information purposes only. It is not meant as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you find yourself in distress, please reach out to your local physician who can provide mental health resources in your community. FERNIEFIX.COM
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Bits and Bytes
THE ANSWER GUY
This is a RAID by KEVIN MCISAAC
R
egular readers of this column are familiar with my constant badgering of people to backup. Some of us do it. Many don’t. There are some that would like to do it, but don’t know where to backup their files. There are a number of options. I think I’ve written in the past about using Amazon Web Services, Dropbox, and Google Drive as online options. But what do you do when you have a couple of terabytes (1000 gigabytes) to backup? This isn’t a rhetorical question as multi-terabyte computers are common these days. By far the most robust solution for a small business or household is a networkattached storage (NAS) device. I’ve written about Synology devices before, so I don’t want to recover that ground, but I want to talk about why a properly configured NAS with a RAID array is so useful. RAID is a redundant array of independent disks, meaning a bunch of separate hard drives in a box that are working together. There are a bunch of RAID levels that mean different things. Different configurations can make your hard drive usage faster or safer or both. RAID 0 is at least two drives that appear to your computer as a single drive. The cool part about RAID 0 is that all the drives read and write simultaneously so reads and writes are fast. The downside is your files are spread across multiple drives meaning the likelihood of hardware failure is doubled with the second drive, tripled with the third, quadrupled with the fourth, etc. This is speed over safety. RAID 1 is usually two drives which are configured to mirror one another. This means that reads and writes are slightly slower, but also that having a single drive crash won’t cost you any data. This is safety over speed.
...what do you do when you have a couple of terabytes (1000 gigabytes) to backup? This isn’t a rhetorical question as multi-terabyte computers are common these days. RAID 5 is at least three disks where the data is distributed across all the disks like in RAID 0, but a parity bit as added which can be used to recreate the missing data if a disk crashes. This gives much of the speed of RAID 0 with most of the safety of RAID 1 and with relatively low overhead. The downside of RAID 5 is it requires more disks and the rebuild time in the event of a crash can be extensive.
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RAID 6 is at least four disks where data is stored across all the disks like RAID 5 but instead of a single parity bit, there are two. The overhead for RAID 6 is slightly higher, but it is more robust to controller errors and the rebuild time for a crashed disk is much shorter than for RAID 5. There is also a RAID 10 but since it requires a minimum of four disks and only delivers half the storage there is rarely a good reason for this choice. So which one should you choose? Well, if you’re a gamer looking for more space and speed then use RAID 0, just don’t treat it like a backup. It’s just a bigger faster drive. If you’re looking to use the RAID as a backup then choose RAID 5 if you’re a household. Most households can tolerate having their network drive down for a few hours while the new drive is rebuilt post-crash. If you’re a small business and time is money, go with RAID 6. It’ll have you back up and running faster post-crash. Happy Computing!
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Bits and Bytes
February 2020 by ASHLEY KRISTINA
I
n this holographic Universe, some may recognize the old adage that our reality is mimicked back to us based upon the energy we exude. In this enlightened state, man has the ability to co-create his reality through self-mastery. Transcendental experience is something we are never without, however one must recognize themselves first to do great work. This month begins with an optimistic attitude backed by the ability to know what one must do to transform and mobilize the inner self to create mirroredreality. Self-expression must shine for this power to expand reality. This employment of inner strength to exalt truth, values, vision, and true character, shows how man has an inviolable tie with the creative power of the universe. The Full “Snow Moon” comes at 12:34 am on February 9 bringing with it the conviction of spiritual power and an inner and absolute recognition of self ’s illimitable resources. February 23 brings a new moon that starts to manifest the outer social results of your inner work. Venus is in Aries all month creating strength for the pioneering of this path. Mars travelling through Capricorn (alongside the Capricorn Stellium consisting of Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto, Pallas and Pholus) giving the energy to bring Heaven down to Earth which is full manifestation. Mercury goes retrograde from February 17 - March 10, mostly in the sign of Pisces, bringing many ‘ah ha’ moments and perhaps some fun trickster energy. Aries An abundance of your true potentials lays before you, all you must do is make sure your energy matches this energy. The wisdom of knowing when to surrender and when to use will is a fine line.
Taurus Kriya Yoga is the practice of simply paying attention only to the breath: Breathe in. Pause. Breathe out. Pause. Peace is found in the pauses and through the practice of the sensation of peace, one can learn to exude peace and hold this state to benefit all. Gemini It is possible to exist in two spaces at once, two states of consciousness. To stay at the threshold of relative reality and supreme reality is called ‘Bhavamukha’ and is an important place to be. Cancer It is a very intuitive month for you with pioneering new territory and a total dedication to forward momentum. Stay with your inspired self and watch idealities manifest. Leo A month of exaltation. Mercury is retrograde so deciphering messages requires simply listening to your heart: in remaining dedicated to your self-interest, you do your part in serving the universal self-interest. Virgo The daily practice of gratitude, love and humility will go far this month for everyone.Your perfection tendencies are a divine requirement of mastery: the discipline of the mind (thoughts and speech), senses, body and especially the diet. Libra Love is strong this month, for all, and especially you. Confidence exudes from you, as does the warm glow that comes from being tied with the light. Following the eight limbs of yoga, help make this light shine ever bright. Scorpio The movement beyond the lower realm emotions is your power once you harness it, and it’s the emotions above this where you exalt - higher forms of love, bliss, peace, gratitude, the state of abundance. Your greatest and most ultimate power,
ASTROLOGY
which is not so simple to manifest but can be practiced and attained, is the ability to exude the highest state of love, which is the most exalted state of love, Prema. Sagitarrius You are as lucky as Scorpio, with the potential to be as powerful if you strengthen your ability to simply practice and stay put in the yogic place of exuding the higher states of emotions as written above. What you are spiritually searching for is this state of Prema, it is the ultimate form of love. Capricorn Two awards for the Brave: you and the other, which is ultimately also you. Exaltation for you can mean a surrendering of your strength to come to the place of communion with the tender heart. Would you rather be in love or would you rather be (what you think is) right? Your own walls are exactly that: your own walls. Transformation is a change of the state of the mind. Aquarius Your ability to perceive yourself in another already creates a form of unified reality, however, it must be further brought to practice so that your innate airy detachment can become a feeling of a cozy love cocoon with all that surrounds you. It’s a simple transition of state: from mental energy to the expression and communication exuded by feeling generated from the heart. Birthday blessings! Pisces You are the transcendental realm! The way(s) you manifest on Earth are many. Choose that which resonates with the highest truth for you, which will be palpable. Happy birthday! For deeper interest in the astrology of the times, join Ashley’s FB group: Plutonic Astrology.
FERNIEFIX.COM
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Fernie Fun
FIX TRIVIA
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Can you find five differences between these two pictures? Have a picture to submit for Fernie Fun? Send it to info@clarismedia.com.
ferniefix
FernieFixMag
ANSWERS JANUARY SPOT THE DIFFERENCE FIND THE Somewhere in this issue is a little heart. Can you find it?
NAME THE BUSINESS OR BUILDING These businesses and buildings are located somewhere in Fernie, can you name them?
Answers: Name The Business/Building January The Livery Building/Urban Settler, Mike Hepher’s Mural, The Fernie Hotel, Fernie Museum
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