Fernie Fix October 2017

OCTOBER 2017 | ISSUE 130

the gratitude issue This month’s Feature Artist column is dedicated to images from BC’s wildfires.

Feature Resident Dave Hawrys on his passion and gratitude for his career as a helicopter pilot.

Jesse Bell’s take on a hike to the summit of the Three Sisters, days before the backcountry fire ban.

Dr. Taina Turcasso discusses keeping your lungs healthy.

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• Occupational Health/Safety Pt 2 – Oct 6 • • Confined Space Awareness – Oct 11 • Occupational First Aid Level 1 – Oct 11 • Basic Fall Protection – Oct 12 • Small Business Media Series – Oct 12 • Airbrakes – Oct 13 • Forklift Certification – Oct 13 • CDN Restricted Firearms – Oct 14 • Digital Cameral Basics – Oct 15 • Class 1, 3 & 3 to 1 Commercial Driver – Oct 16 • Haul Truck Driver – Oct 16 • H2S Alive – Oct 16 • MS Excel – Oct 16 • Small Water Systems Operation – Oct 17 • CPR A – Oct 18 • Foodsafe - Oct 20

OCTOBER COURSES:

• St. John Standard For Industry – Oct 20

• How to be an Executor – Oct 2 & 30

• Facilitating Meetings – Oct 21

• MS Word 2016 Level 3 – Oct 2

• Kombucha Tea – Oct 21

• Fernie Ambassador Program – Oct 3 & 18 & 23

• Transportation Endorsement – Oct 22

• Payroll – Oct 3

• Occupational First Aid Level 3 – Oct 23

• Customer Service – Oct 4

• Occupational First Aid Level 3

• Writing Your Business Story Oct 5 • Occupational Health/Safety Pt 1 – Oct 5

Recertification – Oct 30 • Wilderness First Responder – Oct 30

For full information on upcoming courses or to register: Phone: 250-423-4691 or Visit: cotr.bc.ca/ConEd

EDITOR’S FIX | 5 BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY | 6 Business News/New Business Business Advice with Patty Vadnais – Thank-you Small Business Money Matters – Charitable Donation Tax Credit by Gerald Price, CPA, CA

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT | 12 Feature Artist – BC Wildfire Collage Rental Fix – Point Break by Andrew Vallance Musical Notes - Sing Us a Song, You’re the Piano Man by Carolyn Nikodym

COMMUNITY AND EVENTS | 18 Feature Resident – Dave Hawrys by Krista Turcasso You’ve Got Male: It Takes a Village by Adam K MacDonald FernieFix.com Events Calendar Family Stoke – Penguins in the Pool by Shelby Cain

OUTDOOR LIFE | 26 Never Have I Ever – Great Mountain Gratitude by Jesse Bell Hitting the Trails: The Elk Valley Trail by Julie Kelly, FTA

HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE | 31 Fit to Challenge – Preparing for Ski Season by Sarah Ingram, Practicing Kinesiologist Food Intelligence: Rachael’s Reflection by Tiffany Schebesch, RD, BASc Health, Naturally: Keeping Your Lungs Healthy by Dr. Taina Turcasso, N.D., R.M.

BITS AND BYTES | 36 The Answer Guy – Phishing by Kevin McIsaac Astrology with Yann Loranger

FERNIE FUN | 38 Fix Trivia

COVER: Fire suppression ground crews work hard to extinguish hot spots at Newgate fire. Photo by Chad St. Pierre THIS PAGE: Even the dog likes the sunrise after a hike into one of the amazing lookouts in the Kootenays. Photo by Matt Kuhn, Mkuhnphoto.com

OCTOBER 2017 ISSUE 130 THE GRATITUDE ISSUE

Wetlandkeepers Course hosted by the Elk River Watershed Alliance (ERA)

Location: College of the Rockies

Fernie Campus (342 3rd Ave)

October 12 - 14

(Thurs. night 7 - 9pm and Friday & Saturday 9am - 4pm)

Cost: Free!

Course valued at $200 for this certification program.

This course is a 2.5-day workshop about wetland conservation. Participants gain skills in wetland classification, site survey and health assessment, plant and animal identification, soil sampling, and hands-on wetland stewardship techniques.

Participants will receive a Wetlandkeeper Certificate and get hands on experience stewarding local wetlands with ERA's has ongoing projects in the Elk Valley.

To register or for more info: For course information contact Lee-Anne at lee-anne@elkriveralliance.ca or 250-423-1682.

Fernie Cardlock would like to acknowledge those professionals that make a career out of fighting wildfires in and around the Elk Valley and all over BC. Thank you.

GROUP OF THE MONTH October: Elk Valley Hospice November: Fernie Early Years Team Help support these local groups by using debit: 4 cents/Litre Premium off road gasoline • Regular gasoline • Diesel • Marked Diesel

www.elkriveralliance.ca

www.ferniecardlock.com 250.423.7205 • 1592-9th Ave., Fernie

24/7/365

EDITOR’S FIX

C

an you imagine never feeling grateful?

Just going through your day-to-day, one moment to the next, and not having these uplifting feelings and thoughts wave through you? Maybe you don’t notice them, as they are so much a part of you. Or, maybe you don’t take the time to notice how lucky you actually are.

I have been working hard on my gratitude muscle. I’m a person who gravitates towards ‘doing more,’ so can often times find myself jumping from one thing to the next. And what happens is, I don’t appreciate what is happening right now. Fortunately, the best part about muscles is it only takes about 1,000 times to get them firing on their own again. And I’m really grateful for that!

But lately, things have changed a little.

Not only have we been dealing with the worst wildfire season in BC’s history since 1958, the news is littered with really terrifying events including: hurricanes Harvey and Irma, some of the strongest and most devastating storms recorded in history with more on the way; Mexico experiencing its biggest earthquake in centuries; ongoing terrorist attacks around the world; North Korea’s missile test… add to that a meteor flashing through the sky and landing in our little corner of the world, and it all seems a bit… crazy.

Turning on CBC feels like the opening scene to an apocalypse-themed blockbuster hit.

I don’t think I’m alone. And I don’t really know what the answer is. But I do know that it’s important to keep being grateful, as not only can it help us to be more present in our lives, it also has been proven to reduce the occurrence of negative emotions

and increase empathy and happiness. And it really feels like we need a whole lot of that right about now.

This month, we are channeling our gratitude towards our community, specifically those who have come together to support and protect us during BC’s wildfire season. We hope you enjoy the stories and features within this edition, and that you and your families all have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Krista Turcasso Editor FERNIE FIX | FERNIEFIX.COM Published monthly by Claris Media. To advertise and for general inquiries: info@clarismedia.com Box 1124, 361A 1st Ave. Fernie, BC V0B 1M0 p: 250-423-4062 www.clarismedia.com Editor | Krista Turcasso Creative Director | Vanessa Croome Associate Editor | Carolyn Nikodym All content copyright Claris Media. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the publisher.

Contributors ADAM K. MACDONALD thinks all parents should check out the song “The Early Days” by Old Man Ludecke.

You’ll be grateful you did.

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

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.

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

CAROLYN NIKODYM is grateful to all of the talented musicians that come through and come from Fernie.

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

Gerald enjoys skiing, water skiing, trapshooting and riding motorcycles.

JESSE BELL spends just one night in the backcountry this summer, on top of the Three Sisters with a friend, and watches as forest fires burn in all directions. Still, at sunset, she is so grateful to call this place home.

TIFFANY SCHEBESCH is a registered dietitian and owner of Peak Nutrition Consulting located in Fernie, BC. With a basis in mindful and intuitive eating, she helps clients create lasting changes towards their nutrition goals.

PATTY VADNAIS is the Executive Director of the Fernie Chamber of Commerce, a winter-time wanna-be ski bum, and summer-time golf slice professional.

DR. TAINA TURCASSO is a naturopathic doctor and midwife practicing in Calgary, Alberta. She spends most of her time catching gorgeous babies, and is slowly inching her way back to Fernie.

SARAH INGRAM, practicing kinesiologist, is so grateful to have the next few months to get her legs and back ready for the ski season!

If you need help getting yourself or family into this mindset, visit sarahsactiverehab.com or call 250423-9167.

YANN LORANGER from Happy-Culture Inc. is your local resource for Astrology, Tarot and Apitherapy. Astrology courses are offered at the College of the Rockies in Fernie. happycultureinc@gmail.com

SHELBY CAIN was raised in the East Kootenays. After spending a decade wandering the prairies - she’s back, baby. Writing and mothering and enjoying her daily dose of #ferniestoke. Her first novel, Mountain Girl, is now available! Tweet her @ ShelbyCainWrote

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Business in the Valley

BUSINESS NEWS

Fernie Chamber of Commerce 102 Commerce Road 250-423-6868

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PLAY THERAPY ASSOCIATES HERMAN AND BEAR-NIECE | SUBMITTED PHOTO

Fernie Counselling and Consulting Ferniecounselling.ca

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parent program is being offered

by Fernie Counselling and Consulting on Monday nights once a month at the Fernie Chamber of Commerce -102 Commerce Road beginning November 13 from 7-9pm.

Future sessions will be advertised.

The fee for these sessions is a donation to the food bank. This workshop has four presentations to the program, each illustrating a component of Play Therapy that will provide useful parenting tips for common issues with your children.

The topics include: 1. What is parenting?

2. Enhancing self-esteem 3. Conquering night time fears 4. Eliminating power struggles These sessions will be interactive and experiential, and refreshments will be provided. For more information or to reserve a space please contact Cheryl Hulburd MSW RSW RPT CPT – Certified and Registered Play Therapist at 250-423-2608. The four workshops are on Nov.13, Dec 4, Jan. 8, and Feb. 5.

The more informed, inspired and service oriented our community is, the better chance we have to work together to encourage visitors to stay longer and experience more in Fernie.” The mantra of SUBMITTED IMAGE the Fernie Ambassador Program resonates with every business owner in town. This fall, Fernie Chamber of Commerce is hosting a full schedule of courses for local owners and their employees.

“It can be a huge team-building exercise,” says Patty Vadnais, Fernie Chamber Executive Director. “The course not only gets everyone talking about their customer service goals but also the group shares their experiences and solutions they found to customerservice situations.”

The course, hosted at Fernie’s College of the Rockies, is a four-hour session on customer service education and “All Things Fernie.”After taking the course participants are eligible for the Fernie Ambassador Rewards Program – great deals offered at various businesses in Fernie.

For more information, call the College at 250-423-4691 or visit Ferniechamber.com/ fernie/ambassadorprogram.

Elk Valley Hospice Elkvalleyhospice.com

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leanor Tweddell, RMT, Thunder Meadows Health and Wellness, has experienced the benefits of palliative/chronically ill massage through her father’s medical emergency, which placed him in critical care for two months. Eleanor and her family made a point to massage her father daily, significantly increasing his comfort level and decreasing SUBMITTED PHOTO his need for higher dosages of pharmaceuticals. His doctors were impressed at how quickly he regained his strength.

Eleanor, in her role as a volunteer board member with Elk Valley Hospice, has asked her colleague Christine Sutherland to come to Fernie to teach a Palliative Massage workshop; the goal is to show people massage techniques that help provide comfort to palliative patients or aiding in the recovery of the chronically ill. The workshop will be held at the College of the Rockies on November 4 from 8am-4pm followed by a free Hospice information session starting at 4:30pm.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Business in the Valley

BUSINESS NEWS

NEW BUSINESS

Grizzly Bear Spa and Property Maintenance

Fernie Half Marathon Ferniehalfmarathon.com

722 8th Ave 250-946-7217

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ocally owned and operated, Grizzly Bear Spa and Property Maintenance is the new choice in the Elk Valley for hot tub and swimming pool services, from repairs to general maintenance.

he Fernie Half Marathon, which is also a three-person relay and a 10km run, has become a classic in Southeastern BC. Known for its all-trail course that winds along the scenic Elk River, following a community trail system that is both challenging and beautiful, it draws people from near and far, of all ages and abilities.

This year, the event takes place Sunday, October 1 with the start and finish at the Annex Park. Enjoy a free beer from Fernie Brewing Co. at the finish line, and receive $1 off a sausage on a bun at the Bratwurst BBQ. Proceeds from this event support local children’s programming, including Friends of the Fernie Heritage Library.

Visit Ferniehalfmarathon.com for more details, or Zone4.ca to register.

Giv’Er Shirt Works 672 2nd Ave 250-423-6615

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“We can take total care of your property, from hot tubs to snow removal to painting/ decorating. We offer a full range of services.

Will not be beaten on price or quality.”

Facebook.com/grizzlyspa

Fernie Pride Society Ferniepride.ca

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iv’Er is pleased to announce its 2nd bi-annual Giv’ErShirt-Away Competition. They are giving away another 50 shirts this December to a non-profit/charity organization in the Elk Valley. These shirts could be used for a fundraising effort, an internal giveaway, staff shirts or some other awesome idea. The winning organization will get to print their own design with up to two colours!

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he Fernie Pride Society supports and connects the LGBTQ community in the Elk Valley.

Incorporated in December 2016, the Society is a hub for LGBTQ people and their allies, programming special events as well as providing resource referrals.

Shirt Away Competition Their vision is that the Elk Valley will be

How it works: in 25 words or less tell Giv’Er why your organization should win. It’s that simple! Entry forms can be picked up at Giv’Er’s retail store starting November 1 and entries are due by November 30. The winner will be chosen by the Giv’Er staff and announced on Wednesday, December 6, 2017.

Giv’Er is excited to be helping those who help our fantastic community, so get creative with your entries and good luck to everyone!

a safe, inclusive community for LGBTQ people celebrating uniqueness and diversity.

Join the Fernie Pride Society for the first ever Elk Valley Pride Festival this October 11-15 in Fernie, where everyone is included and celebrated! Visit the website for details.

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aily

Keynote Speaker: Dan Pontefract

FERNIE BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWA R D S

2017

AWA R D S GA LA Date: Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017 Time: 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM Location: Rusty Edge Reserve your tickets: 250-423-6868 or online at Ferniechamber.com/awards

D Open

Patio

Open

Dan Pontefract is Chief Envisioner at TELUS, a Canadian telecommunications company, where he heads the Transformation Office, a futureof-work consulting group that helps organizations enhance their corporate cultures and collaboration practices.

301 Hwy 3 | 250-423-3002

He is the author of THE PURPOSE EFFECT: Building Meaning in Yourself, Your Role and Your Organization as well as FLAT ARMY: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization. A renowned speaker, Dan has presented at multiple TED events and also writes for Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Psychology Today and The Huffington Post. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Victoria.

Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert & Drinks

TRUCUT LO G G IN G

EK Community Credit Union

ISL Engineering

Super 8

City of Fernie, Free Press, Isosceles, Community Futures East Kootenay, The Summit Fund, Tourism Fernie, EK Employment, College of the Rockies, Scotiabank Rockies Law Corporations, Best Western Plus, Western Financial Group.

Hop

Now open for Breakfast

from 9am Saturday & Sunday

Specials & more online at: thebridgebistro.com Follow us:

Business in the Valley

BUSINESS ADVICE

Thank-you Small Business

by PATTY VADNAIS

O

ctober 15-21 is Small Business Week. A time to celebrate those who suffer the risk and hassles of everyday proprietorship. That’s right, running a small business isn’t always the glitz and glamour of high profits, setting your own schedule, and donating to every cause that walks through your door asking for a donation.

The reality is, customers set the schedule, mistake costs come out of your pocket, and it’s rare you can support all the events and programs you want to with sponsorship dollars. Small Business Week gives us an opportunity to pause and recognize the invaluable contribution of our local businesses to our everyday quality of life.

Small businesses make up an important part of the BC’s social and economic fabric, representing 98% of businesses in BC and spanning many sectors – from technology to guide outfitters, retail to natural resources, agriculture to our emerging aerospace industry. All of these types of small businesses contribute to exporting $12.9 billion worth of made-inBC products and expertise all around the world.

In addition to supporting BC’s economy, small businesses also help make up the social hub of neighbourhoods throughout the province. Many provide opportunities for young people and new British Columbians to enter the workforce, while others champion causes to give to those in need, or sponsor local sports and cultural programs.

Small business is typically defined as 100 employees or less. If we focus in on Fernie’s small business numbers, we see that nearly all our businesses are small businesses. Further to that point, our Historic Downtown businesses and Ghostrider Business District are made up

RAVEN EYE PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO

Small Business Week gives us an opportunity to pause and recognize the invaluable contribution of our local businesses to our everyday quality of life. of local independent operators who have made their investment in Fernie.

To celebrate the work and accomplishment of our local business community, The Chamber of Commerce hosts the Business Excellence Awards in October. We put the same care into selecting the winners that our businesses put into their products and services. The award winners are selected by an independent panel of judges from across Canada who evaluate award applications submitted by the business on award criteria. Their excellence is measured and the highest score wins. The winners are

announced and honoured at the Awards Gala on October 24.

It should be noted, these awards take place with sponsorship support from businesses in town including CanAus Coal and Trucut Logging Ltd, Capasiti Consulting, Teck, Super 8 Fernie, EK Community Credit Union and ISL Engineering, just to mention a few.

This October, I encourage you all to celebrate businesses in Fernie for their contributions to our community.You can shop local, thank an event sponsor (and shop with them). Small Business Week was initiated by Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) in 1979. The BDC reports that 99.7% of Canadian businesses are small and medium-sized businesses. That is something worth being thankful for and celebrating.

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NEED NEW SKI GEAR? NEED TO SELL SKI GEAR? Then don’t miss Fernie’s annual

SKI SWAP

Majic, Purdy Law Corporation

Trusted Legal Advice for over 30 years

Saturday, November 4th 10am - 2pm at the Fernie Community Centre.

Gear drop-off is Friday, November 3 6 - 8pm at the Fernie Community Centre.

Cash or Credit Card Only.

HOSTED BY

George S. Majic, Q.C. (d. 2003) • Glen A. Purdy, Q.C Caeli H. MacPherson, JD, Articled Student Providing a full range of legal services, including:

Real Estate, Personal Injury, Civil Litigation, Criminal Defence, Family Law, Business and Corporate, Wills and Estates

Return at 6:30pm for Fernie Ski & Board Film Fest on Sat, Nov 4.

Fernie Office 592-2nd Avenue P.O. Box 369 Fernie, B.C. V0B 1M0 T: (250) 423-4497 F: (250) 423-6714

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

Join us for the 6th Annual Howlo’ween!

Sunday, October 29th 2017 from 3 pm - 7 pm Costumes available at BARKSiDE ~ Big prizes for best costumes! ~ Silent Auction! ~ All proceeds go to The Fernie Pets Society. ~ Open 7 Days a Week 791 A 2nd Ave ~ 250-423-4332 www.barkside.com

Business in the Valley

Charitable Donation Tax Credit

The most common donations to registered charities are cash donations.

Some registered charities, such as food banks, accept food as donations as well.

Anything that has value can be donated to a registered charity. The charity can then use the donated items in their operations or sell the donated items to generate cash to be used by the charity.

by GERALD PRICE, CPA, CA

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recent search on CRA’s website revealed that there are 29 registered charities in Fernie. A Google search revealed there are 85,000 registered charities in Canada. In order to become a CRA registered charity you must apply to CRA. In order to have your application approved you must use your resources in one or more of the categories: relief of poverty, advancement of education, advancement of religion and other purposes that benefit the community. As a registered charity you can issue official donation receipts for gifts received by the charity. The official donation receipts can be claimed on your income tax return as a tax credit that will reduce the amount of income tax that you would otherwise pay.

STOCK PHOTO

In British Columbia, if you donate $200 to a registered charity you can claim a tax credit on your personal tax return that will reduce your tax amount by $40.12.

This is a savings of 15% on your federal tax and 5.06% on your provincial tax.

For donations over $200 the tax credit increases to 29% on your federal tax and 14.7% on your provincial tax. A $1,000 donation would reduce your tax bill by $389.72. The after tax cost to an individual of giving $1,000 to a registered charity is $610.28 ($1,000.00-$389.72).

Call today to learn the locals secret.....

When you need a mortgage, you call Zonya!

Zonya Knooihuizen mortgage broker 250.423.1864 zonya@shaw.ca www.eastkootenaymortgage.ca

photo: Robin Siggers 0 20 80 0

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100 70 0 30

Purchase | Pre-Approval | Non-Residence Equity Take Out | Refinance | Self Employed Dominion Lending Centres East Kootenay Mortgage | 462 2nd Ave, Fernie BC Independently Owned and Operated

There is the super first-time donor credit that allows an additional 25% federal tax credit for donations to a maximum of $1,000 if the donation is made after March 20, 2013 and before 2018. This gives the donor an extra $250 of tax credit. To qualify for the super credit neither you nor your spouse or common law partner can have claimed a charitable donation tax credit in any preceding tax year after 2007.

If you have publicly traded securities that have an unrealized gain on them, you can donate the securities to a registered charity and receive the charitable donation tax credit. The gain on the securities is reported on your tax return but deemed to be nil so there is no tax on the gain.

As an example let us assume you bought 400 Teck shares at $5 per share. They are now trading at $26 per share.You have an unrealized gain of $8,400 (400 x ($26-$5)).You decide to sell the shares, receive $10,400 and then donate the $10,400 to a registered charity.Your tax return reports the taxable gain and you pay tax of $1,608.18 (38.29% made up of 26% federal and 12.29% provincial) however the donation generates a tax credit of $4,497.52 for net tax reduction of $2,889.34. If you donated the shares directly to a registered charity and the registered charity sold them you would not pay tax on the capital gain and the tax credit would reduce your tax bill by $4,497.52.

If you plan on donating significant dollar values of assets such as cash, real property, life insurance policies, publicly traded securities you should meet with an income tax professional to ensure the income tax credits of the donation are maximized.

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Arts and Entertainment

FEATURE ARTISTS

BC WILDFIRE COLLAGE When we decided to dedicate the “Gratitude” issue to the BC Wildfires and the many involved, we instantly thought of all of the images we came across over the last few months. We got in touch with the many photographers in our area, from professional to recreational and asked them to share any images they had taken that represented the BC Wildfires to them. Here is a collage from what was submitted, alongside a few words on what was happening while they were taking the shot.

Top left clockwise: Troy Nixon - “I took this picture five days into our backcountry ban. One of my favourite views in Fernie was now sadly choked with smoke.”

David Couse - “The St. Mary River fire stands out to me the most this year, mostly due to the fact that I was in the area shortly after the fire began. Within a few kilometres of the Cranbrook Airport I got to witness the direct attack approach from a half dozen air tankers. It was impressive to watch these pilots fly and see the efforts they put in to contain these fires. A few hours later I took my kids for a walk above Marysville to take photos of the fire from a more comfortable distance.”

Dylan Siggers - Taken at Canal Flats, “I remember thinking it was bizarre how close they kept traffic parked to this fire, as the 150 foot tall flames came into view. This fire was started from some blow down onto the power lines along Highway 93.”

Top left clockwise: Chad St. Pierre - “In my time shooting forest fires, there’s one thing that has become perfectly clear to me. Fire always finds a way, always. Forests like fire. It’s as if the forest has a ravenous appetite for fire because it knows it needs fire to stay healthy.”

Eyelet Photography - Sparwood Sunrise.

September 7, 2017. “This was the scene as I walked my kids to school in the morning.

‘Is this the apocalypse?’ the little one asked.”

Chad St. Pierre - “The sound, smell, sweltering heat of the fire makes you feel small and insignificant as it grows and breathes into something much larger.”

Jesse Bell - “I can’t think of anything better than a summit camp out, but this summer in particular, they were few and far between. For one night, though, on top of Three Sisters, we pitched a tent in the red glow of the setting sun, and watched as it disappeared behind faraway Fisher Peak. Burning fires and billowing smoke appeared for a long time after dusk, but we were so grateful to be up there at all - five days later, the backcountry would close.

This moment would become the most pivotal of my entire summer.”

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Arts and Entertainment

Point Break

by ANDREW VALLANCE

P

oint Break is an American crime thriller based in a fictitious surfing community somewhere on the California coast. Made in 1991, it is the story of a rookie FBI agent named Johnny Utah who is investigating a series of local bank robberies. The title of the movie refers to a term used by surfers to describe what happens when a large wave hits a point of land jutting out from the coastline, causing the wave to break.

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n photo credit: Raven Eye Photography

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The film was a box office success, with an $83.5 million gross and a budget of $24 million, and it has subsequently gained cult status. I was interested in seeing it because it has been held up as a classic by the last generation of white middle-class men, who also felt that it was better than the modern version that was made in 2015.

I’m afraid to say that I was not impressed

by the movie. Point Break (1991) has not withstood the test of time and it is a disappointment.

It was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who has since gained considerable directing credibility by making The Hurt Locker (2008) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012). She was married to James Cameron, who was the executive producer for Point Break and who is recognized for such films as Titanic, Terminator and Terminator 2.

The film stars Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey.

Reeves plays the film’s hero, the agent who goes undercover to infiltrate the gang of surfers that are committing the robberies and who develops a complex relationship with Bodhi (Swayze), the charismatic leader of the gang. Reeves is not convincing in his role and gives a very wooden performance.

Lori Petty, who is Reeves’ girlfriend in the film, is a decent actress, but there is

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THE RENTAL FIX

no chemistry between the two at all. She has worked pretty steadily in film but tends to pick more quirky films such as A League of Their Own,Tank Girl, and Pray for Rock and Roll.

Gary Busey gives a surprisingly good performance as Utah’s FBI partner, but has since gone on to accept other roles (Under Siege, Predator II, Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas) that have done little to improve his reputation as a serious actor.

Patrick Swayze plays the villain and probably gives the best performance in the film, but he doesn’t get nearly enough screen time. Swayze had an extensive acting career starting at the age of 27 with a small role in the film Skatetown, USA (1979) and a television debut in M*A*S*H (1981). He danced professionally until his move to film, and his talent as a dancer landed him the role of Johnny Castle, dance instructor, in the hit Dirty Dancing (1987). He received his first Golden Globe nomination for Dirty Dancing and a second for Ghost, which proved to be the highestgrossing film of 1990. Unfortunately, his subsequent films like Point Break (1991), City of Joy (1992) and Waking Up in Reno (2002) were not as successful. Sadly, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008 and died in 2009.

The film is not of great quality. If you want to see a decent heist movie, watch Heat or The Score both featuring Robert DeNiro. If you want to see more of Patrick Swayze at his best, view Dirty Dancing and Ghost.You won’t be disappointed.

Online booking and more at: ThunderMeadowsHealth.ca FERNIEFIX.COM

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Grand Opening!

Saturday October 7th 12pm to 4pm

Real Mountain Living Inc.

Marilyn Brock Broker/Owner 250.423.8650

marilyn@marilynbrock.com

Buying or Selling?

We know Real Estate!

362B 2nd Avenue, Fernie, BC V0B 1M0

www.C21fernie.com

Nancy J McNay, PREC Manager/Owner 250.423.8882

nancy@nancymcnay.com

Chocolate Pumpkin filled with Rocky Pop Rich milk chocolate painted with edible cocoa butter.

581A 2nd Ave., Downtown Fernie 250.423.2680

OPEN DAILY Locally owned and operated.

Arts and Entertainment

MUSICAL NOTES

Sing Us a Song, You’re the Piano Man

by CAROLYN NIKODYM

J

effery Straker grew up playing piano, studying piano, earning his Licentiate from the Royal Conservatory of Music at the age of 19 – by all measures a talented player. But it wasn’t until he moved to Toronto from Saskatchewan, to a job in marketing after an unwanted career in plant biology, and watching singer-songwriters that he had a bit of an epiphany. Maybe this was something he could do, too. After all, he did know music and he had enjoyed poetry in high school.

When you watch Straker play, his passion and talent for both playing and lyric writing on full display, it’s hard to believe that this wasn’t a route he pursued right from the start.

“Even in hindsight, I find it interesting.

Because in the world that I grew up in, small-town Saskatchewan, a singersongwriter wasn’t a thing,” Straker says.

“There were songs on the radio, songs on the record player and there were songs here and there, but people around me weren’t writing them. I guess in my mind, and because I was studying piano and that music was written by people somewhere else, like these greats from some time ago, so I think, through a similar filter, the songs that I was hearing on the radio were written by people somewhere else. That was something someone somewhere else did.”

It has been about 15 years since then, and Straker has had some pretty extraordinary experiences from the piano bench, including performing with symphony orchestras and winning the international category in the 55th Vina del Mar International Song Festival in Chile (which involved performing for 20,000 people, who have been known to boo performers

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Straker has had some pretty extraordinary experiences from the piano bench, including performing with symphony orchestras and winning the international category in the 55th Vina del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. off the stage). He has spent his spring and summer playing for audiences across the country and did his first shows in Europe in support of his May release Dirt Road Confessions. Fernie is one of the last stops on this six-month tour. Dirt Road Confessions is a folk-roots album with a bit of country twang and a welcoming optimistic view of the world.

Like many hard-touring musicians, Straker has written a song about life on the road for this album. But unlike many of the songs with this theme, “Beauty in the Grey” is not about getting down on the life – it’s about enjoying the difference of every day.

“You can look at it in two ways: there’s no guarantees of everything, and every day is different and you’re not really sure what to expect and that can be draining, or you can look at that exact same situation with different coloured glasses and say, you know there’s really something wonderful in the idea of every day being completely different and not a lot of people get to experience this,” he explains. “And so, it can be quite exhilarating, and I look at it in the latter.”

When you talk to Straker, it’s clear that he loves what he does – but then, there aren’t very many jobs in the world where you get to play a piano in the middle of a lake or the middle of the forest. (In the video for “I Wanna Go Back There” he gets to do just that. I urge you to watch the video – which has lake water lapping at the piano peddles – and figure out how the whole thing isn’t green-screened. Because it isn’t.)

But it’s also clear that he loves connecting with people – which makes the intimate Arts Station a great venue for his show in Fernie. He’ll be performing with double bass player Danny Jones.

Jeffery Straker performs at The Arts Station on October 25 at 8pm.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Community and Events

FEATURE RESIDENT

Dave Hawrys

by KRISTA TURCASSO

W

henever I think back to this summer, it will be accompanied by the distinct “chopping” of helicopters.

Ascent Helicopters has a base just off Burma Road, so it’s hard to miss a take off or landing and is something I’ve often enjoyed hearing, as one of our good friends Dave Hawrys is a pilot and my daughters both love to see him in action.

But with the BC Wildfire status this year, these sounds brought with them some anxiety. Both for the state of emergency and also for the well-being of Dave and many, many others working tirelessly and putting their own lives in danger in an effort to keep our communities, our homes, and our people safe.

MIKE PHILLIPS PHOTO

I ran into Dave earlier this summer. He had just landed from a day of fire fighting and came to meet some friends for a quick beer before he was back at it at daybreak.

It was early times in the BC Wildfire scene, so while he was definitely concerned he was also extremely excited at the work and challenge it offered. Fast forward a few months, and he’s exhausted. He’s basically working to the maximum of allowable hours, which means he’s rarely home with his wife and seven-year old. And he might only see his buddies from the skies, flying over to say “Hi!” while they cool down at their favourite spot on the river. (Seriously, this happened.)

But, this is what Dave signed up for.

Originally from Calgary, Dave grew up skiing the Bow Valley but after graduation he and a friend decided to move away to become ski bums. “Trent (Scarlett) showed up to my house and was, like, where are we going? I said Lake Louise. He said Fernie,” Dave tells me over a beer. “We checked out where it snowed more, and off we went to Fernie. It was 1997… twenty years ago!”

RAVEN EYE PHOTOGRAPHY

His first job was at the ski hill as a lifty, where he continued to work for ten years eventually getting on as ski patrol. While he enjoyed the work, he knew it wasn’t something he could do forever. He has been extremely intrigued by flying from an early age but always felt like it was out of reach. After discussing it with his wife, Lenka they decided it was something he had to do. Dave attended school full time

just outside of Calgary in Springbank. “But that was only six months. Then you have to get your first job, and put your hours in,” Dave adds. For him, that job was in Northern Alberta, where for four years he worked a month to 42-day shifts at a time with a week off in between. “Which was basically five days, as you had a travel day on either end,” he informs me.

During this time, Dave and Lenka had a son, Jack. Dave knew Greg Goodison, a helicopter pilot based in Fernie. “I started helping Greg out a bit on the ground.

Just on my days off, on my own time, hoping that I could get a job here,” Dave says. And then it worked out. Greg had started a satellite base in Fernie for Ascent Helicopters, which is based in Parksville BC. The Fernie team became Greg, Dave and a pilot engineer.

Ascent specializes in power line construction and maintenance, but their scope in Fernie ranges from Search and Rescue to Heli Tours to fighting fires…

“If there is a season,” he adds. And this year there definitely has been. How do they manage? “You still have to fit everything else in, and fight the fires.You work everyday. I was forced to take five days off to reset – as per the law. And then you work until you run out of hours.” Even when they’re not flying (they can’t fly at night) they are fielding calls. This summer, Fernie became a hub for aircrafts for a while because of its location. “Technically, we are surrounded by fires,” Dave tells me.

“Waterton, Wigwam, Newgate, Quinn/ Brulee Creek. It’s no surprise the town burnt down over 100 years ago! All it takes is a grass fire in the perfect spot that nobody can get to. Luckily, we have the resources.”

Dave tells me that Ascent is also specialized in Class D Rescue, so they can actually insert fire fighters into locations they normally couldn’t reach. “It’s pretty surreal,” he says. “These fire fighters are repelling into the fire, and you’re bucketing around houses and people’s livelihoods.

You can’t help but feel for what people are going through.

“It’s easy to get wound up in the stress and smoke and the fire and heat… but you’re also just trained to do your job. So you do it to the best of your ability. ‘Yes, I can do this. No, I will not do that…’You check yourself and make good decisions. The most intense part of it all isn’t the day to day… it’s everything in combination.”

Dave admits that the hours can get old, and that it’s tough on his family. But, both he and Lenka were aware of the lifestyle they were getting into and are grateful that he now mainly works out of Fernie.

“There’s no delusion. It’s a way of life.

Jack now knows that, and is getting more used to it,” he says. But you can see that it’s still difficult. “Work is so last minute, it’s hard to make plans… we couldn’t even plan to have this interview!” and we laugh.

Because it’s 11pm, and we’re talking in a tatami room at Yamagoya. Dave is also so grateful for Lenka. “She gave me the chance to put work first for the first few years, to ensure it happened. And that’s a huge sacrifice.”

At the end of the day, even a tough day fighting fires Dave is doing what he loves, where he loves, with whom he loves. “I could easily see myself retiring working for this company. I love my job. I love my family. I can’t picture myself doing anything else, anywhere else. I am hooked.”

Thank you, Dave. We are so very grateful for you and the many individuals who have worked to fight fires in BC this summer.

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

1997, skiing powder brought me here.

2. Where did you first live in town?

The apartments behind the A&W. Trent and I shared a one bedroom apartment.

Two beds, it was insane.

3. What was your first impression?

Red. Redneck. When we first moved here, there was an article in Powder magazine to take the stickers off your truck and not to come to town as a ski bum, as you might get beat up. The first beer I had in town was at the Motor Inn… I thought, we’re in Nashville. Cowboyland.

4. What keeps you here?

That’s a good question. Because, you can’t say work… or family… I think what keeps me here is community. There’s nothing like

it. People move away, and a lot of them try to come back. Nowhere 15-20 years ago did this many people move to one spot and call it home. A lot of those people never left. They made it work, they figured out a way to live in a really expensive tourist town.

5. Do you have a favourite Fernie memory?

So many that I can’t talk about… or name names… I think the people. Some of my best friends on the planet are the people that I met here, and the memory of how I met each of them is up there. A place and a time and a certain thing we were doing. A lot of it was skiing.

6. What is your favourite time of the year in Fernie and why?

I hate to say summer. It’s brilliant.

Beautiful, warm. I love it, I’d be an idiot to not say the pow days are the best thing ever, but I do like summer the most.

Nothing beats it. Biking, BBQs, friends, and more.

7. Where do you see Fernie in 5 to 10 years?

Oh man, that’s a loaded question. I honestly hope to see it no bigger than it is.

I love where it is now. I hope I don’t see it super commercialized and crazy, but that being said growth is good and it’s healthy.

But with baby steps.

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

Coffee… religiously. Weather check/snow check, right when my eyes open. Even before coffee. And I’m usually out the door shortly after that… to work, or ski.

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

People read me like an open book! I got nothing to hide.

10. Quote to live by: Expectation is the route of all heartache.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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October 2017 MONTHLY EVENTS SUNDAY 1.10.2017 Men’s Closing @ Fernie Golf and Country Club, 12pm. $40 for members, $70 for non-members includes 18 holes, dinner, prizes and a shootout after for a new equipment package. Four man teams, modified stableford format with a shot gun start at 12pm.

Fernie Half Marathon @ Annex Park, 10am. Enjoy a beautiful run on this course, which sticks to the trails and provides gorgeous fall views of the mountains and Elk River. Enter as a team of three, solo or sign up for the 10km. Ferniehalfmarathon.com Indie Films Fernie: An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power @ The Vogue Theatre, 5pm. A 2017 American documentary film directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk about former United States Vice President Al Gore’s continuing mission to battle climate change.

Elk River Shoreline Clean-up @ Elk River, Annex Park at 1pm. The sixth annual event welcomes all to participate and show their love of nature and the Elk River. If in Sparwood, meet at the Leisure Centre at 1pm and in Elkford, at the Fas Gas parking lot at 1pm.

Elkriveralliance.ca Gear Swap @ Elk Valley Nordic Centre. The Fernie Nordic Society is hosting a garage-style gear swap. Sell the gear you don’t need and/or buy new gear! Also check out the 2018 lineup.

MONDAY 2.10.2017 Fall Swim Lesson Registration @ Fernie Aquatic Centre.

TUESDAY 3.10.2017 Fernie Ambassador Program @ College of the Rockies, 6-9:30pm WEDNESDAY 4.10.2017 Senior Story Time @ Tom Uphill Manor, 1:30pm. For all ages with seniors and local preschoolers.

THURSDAY 5.10.2017 Attracting Employees – Recruitment Tools @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce, 10am – 11:30am. Get more and better applicants applying to your postings! Ferniechamber.com FRIDAY 6.10.2017 Aerial Yoga for Teens @ Essential Yoga Studio, a five-week series from 3:45-4:45pm. Register at Essentialyogastudio.com.

Intro to Meditation @ Essential Yoga Studio, 7:30-8:30pm. The first of a weekend workshop series. It is recommended to do this before signing up for others. Essentialyogastudio.com.

Four Week Kids Yoga Series @ Soar Studios with Heather Ivany from 3:45-4:45pm. Sign up at Soarstudios.ca Five Week Teen Yoga @ Soar Studios, for Grades 7 and up with Heather Ivany. 5-6pm, sign up at Soarstudios.ca Ellen Froese and Derek Curtis Live @ The Kodiak Lounge. Plus pre-game pint and ticket special 4:30-7:30pm for all Ghostrider games. $13.

Fernie Ghostriders Hockey Game @ Fernie Memorial Arena, 7:30pm Booked! Fernie Writers Series: Lorna Crozier @ Fernie Heritage Library, 7pm. Join acclaimed poet Lorna Crozier for the second event of this popular series.

SATURDAY 7.10.2017 Grand Opening @ Century 21 Real Mountain Living Inc, 362B 2nd Avenue, Fernie. 12-4pm.

SUNDAY 8.10.2017 Ironman Open @ Fernie Golf and Country Club. Test your skills on 18 very difficult holes, stroke play format. 12:30pm shotgun start followed by dinner and awards.

MONDAY 9.10.2017 Turkey Scramble @ Fernie Golf and Country Club. Work off that Thanksgiving meal with the last round of the season.

WEDNESDAY 11.10.2017 Walkie Talkie Book Club: The Chemist @ Fernie Heritage Library, 10am on the front steps. Walk along the river path and discuss this month’s book.

Senior Story Time @ Rocky Mountain Village, 1pm. For all ages with seniors and local preschoolers.

Business, Banter and Beers @ Lilac Media and Fernie Fireplace and Appliances, 5:30-7pm Elk Valley Pride Festival: Literary Evening with Zoey Leigh Peterson and Angie Abdou @ Fernie Arts Station, 7pm. Ferniepride.ca

THURSDAY 12.10.2017 - SATURDAY 14.10.2017 Wetlandkeepers Course @ College of the Rockies. Hosted by the Elk River Alliance, this certification program is valued at $200 and is being offered for free. Email Lee-Anne@Elkriveralliance.ca or call 250-423-1682 to register or for more details.

THURSDAY 12.10.2017 Meet the Sitter Day @ Fernie Heritage Library, 6-7pm. Parents looking for a sitter, teen or tween keen to babysit – meet and connect! Babysitters register by emailing fhlprogrammer@gmail.com.

Elk Valley Pride Festival: Miss Ellen Q and the Pumas @ The Park Place Pub. The Elk Valley Drag Show is back with showstopper Miss Ellen Q and the Pumas and special guests, Misty Meadows and Visa De’Klein. Ferniepride.ca FRIDAY 13.10.2017 – SATURDAY 14.10.2017 Winter Job Fair @ Fernie Alpine Resort. FAR is conducting on-site, interactive, group interviews and providing job offers for all seasonal vacancies. Interviews must be pre-booked by sending an application email (with resume and cover letter) to employment@ skifernie.com.

FRIDAY 13.10.2017 – SUNDAY 15.10.2017 Yoga Retreat @ Lizard Creek Lodge. Recharge your mind, body and soul with four yoga lessons by Yogi Gordana Gigovic and nature walks at Fernie Alpine Resort. All meals included, as well as accommodation. Skifernie.com FRIDAY 13.10.2017 Beers and Queers @ The Valley Social, 7:30pm as part of the Elk Valley Pride Festival. Ferniepride.ca Farmer the Band @ The Arts Station, 8pm.

Ellen Froese and Derek Curtis Live @ The Kodiak Lounge. Plus pre-game pint and ticket special 4:30-7:30pm for all Ghostrider games. $13.

Fernie Ghostriders Hockey Game @ Fernie Memorial Arena, 7:30pm SATURDAY 14.10.2017 End of Fall Season Pass Sale @ Fernie Alpine Resort. Skifernie. com Elk Valley Pride Festival: Wrong Kind of Girls @ The Fernie Arts Station, 7pm. Canada’s premier queer/feminist/ukulele/comedy band. Ferniepride.ca Ellen Froese and Derek Curtis Live @ The Kodiak Lounge. Plus pre-game pint and ticket special 4:30-7:30pm for all Ghostrider games. $13.

Fernie Ghostrider Hockey Game @ Fernie Memorial Arena, 7:30pm Job Fair After Party @ The Kodiak Lounge, with sausages and $4 drinks. Wear your comfy threads and celebrate your new job, or have a laugh with fellow job seekers about failed attempts and future interview quests.

SUNDAY 15.10.2017 Farewell Brunch @ Parkplace Lodge, 10am followed by a Fairy Creek Falls Hike.

THURSDAY 19.10.2017 Pizza League @ Fernie Heritage Library, 6-7pm. Monthly drop-in for teens ages 13+ for free pizza and board games.

FRIDAY 20.10.2017 Fun Friday: Rootbeer Fest @ Fernie Heritage Library, 2-3:15. Dropin for a kid-friendly Octoberfest!

Volunteer Appreciation and Recruitment @ Elk Valley Nordic Centre Warming Hut. The Fernie Nordic Society will be thanking its base of volunteers, and those who are interested in lending a hand for the upcoming season. Includes food and drink to share.

SATURDAY 21.10.2017 Super Saturday: Rootbeer Fest @ Fernie Heritage Library, 2-3:15.

Drop-in for a kid-friendly Octoberfest!

Fernie Community Octoberfest Concert @ The Arts Station, 7pm. Featuring Maritime, work and drinking songs to brighten up the long October nights. $10 Great Pumpkin Hunt @ Elk Valley Nordic Centre. This annual event takes off at 11:30am for kids aged nine and under. A fun day for the entire family! Facebook.com/FernieNordicSociety Ellen Froese and Derek Curtis Live @ The Kodiak Lounge. Plus pre-game pint and ticket special 4:30-7:30pm for all Ghostrider games. $13.

CHECK OUT THE FERNIE FIX EVENTS CALENDAR ONLINE AT FERNIEFIX.COM Ghostrider Hockey Game @ Fernie Memorial Arena, 7:30pm MONDAY 23.10.2017 Discover Yoga @ Essential Yoga Studio, a five-week series at 7:30pm. Essentialyogastudio.com Fernie Ambassador Program @ College of the Rockies, 8:30am12:30pm TUESDAY 24.10.2017 Business Excellence Awards @ The Rusty Edge, 5:30-9:30pm.

Featuring keynote speaker Dan Pontefract, author of The Purpose Effect and Flat Army. Ferniechamber.com WEDNESDAY 25.10.2017 Senior Story Time @ Trinity Lodge, 1:30pm. For all ages with seniors and local preschoolers.

Jeffery Straker Live @ The Arts Station, 7pm THURSDAY 26.10.2017 Gallery Open: Potters Guild @ The Arts Station, 7pm FRIDAY 27.10.2017 Tea and Talk Book Club @ Fernie Heritage Library, 1:30pm. Copies of the current monthly book available from the library.

Ukulele 101 for Seniors @ Fernie Heritage Library, 1:30-2:30pm SATURDAY 28.10.2017 Shake, Rattle and Roll Hop @ Fernie Museum, featuring Peter and the Wolves. A 1950’s inspired fundraiser for the Fernie Museum Fund, including diner dinner, unique soda shop floats, a full range of cocktails and of course a special edition of American Bandstand.

SUNDAY 29.10.2017 Howlo’ween @ Barkside Pets, 3-7pm. Prizes for best costumes, silent auction, proceeds benefiting Fernie Pets Society.

TUESDAY 31.10.2017 Halloween Howler @ Fernie Heritage Library, 3:30-5pm. A popular annual event for the family, with snacks, crafts, music and more.

Halloween Bash @ The Kodiak Lounge. Join the crew in the shrouded Den of Death for a frightingly fabulous evening, and score some sweet costume giveaways.

Halloween Party @ The Parkplace Pub. A notorious event, with a chance to win a seasons pass for best costume.

Halloween Party @ The Royal, another great event offering a significant prize of $500 bar credit for best costume of the night!

THE ARTS STATION www.theartsstation.com info@theartsstation.com 250-423-4842

INDIE FILM FERNIE October 1, 5pm: IFF Screening: An Inconvenient Sequel @ the Vogue Theatre

WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES

October 4, 6.30pm: Rhumba with Adriana October 5, 4pm: Kids Afterschool Pottery Club October 6, 9am: Club Cre8 No School Fridays October 11, 6:30pm: Rhumba with Adriana October 11, 7pm: Wine and Wheel Wednesdays October 12, 4pm: Kids Afterschool Pottery Club October 18, 6:30pm: Rhumba with Adriana October 19, 4pm: Kids Afterschool Pottery Club October 20, 9am: Club Cre8 No School Fridays October 23, 6.30pm: Rhumba with Adriana October 25, 7pm: Wine and Wheel Wednesdays October 26, 4pm: Kids Afterschool Pottery Club October 27, 7pm: Couple’s Dance Night with Adriana

OPERA SERIES October 6, 7pm: Fernie Friend of Opera: Die Fledermaus

CONCERT SERIES

October 13, 8pm: Farmer the Band October 25, 8pm: Jeffery Straker

IN THE GALLERY October 26, 7pm: Fernie Pottery Guild Gallery Opening ‘Kaleidoscope of Clay’ Exploring the Elk – Mark Locki. Until October 23

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

October 2017 WEEKLY EVENTS

DINING, NIGHTLIFE & SPECIALS MONDAYS Pair it up Appies @ Boston Pizza Fernie Jugs of Beer on Special @ The Brickhouse Lasagna Specials @ Elk Valley Pizza Shoppe Wing Night @ The Fernie Hotel $6 Meals @ Infinitea, 1st and 3rd Mondays. Essential Oils Workshop at 6pm Mexican Mondays! Chicken or Beef Tacos $3 Happy Hour Corona (Bottles) $5.25 @ The Pub Bar & Grill Massage Mondays @ Trillium Day Spa, $60 for 60 min, $90 for 90 min Ladies Night: $4 House Red or White Wine, $5 $12 Mussels and $4 Wine @ The Northern Local Jam Night @ The Kodiak Lounge Free Pool and $4.50 Spice Rum @ The Royal Store and Tasting Room Open @ Fernie Brewing Company, 10am – 6pm $10 house-smoked wings and a draft beer @ The Loaf Margarita Night @ Frida, $7 2 for 1 Burgers @ Clubhouse Restaurant Jam Night @ Kodiak Lounge, 9pm to close TUESDAYS Gourmet Pasta $11.99 @ Boston Pizza Kokanee Bottle on Special @ The Brickhouse Wing Night @ The Pub Bar & Grill $12 Pizza Night @ Elk Valley Pizza Shoppe Two for Tuesdays @ Trillium Day Spa, 2 pedicures for $100, 2 manicures for $70, 2 facials for $130, all three for $275 $10 Beer, Burger and Bingo Night @ The Northern

Cheap Night @ The Vogue Theatre Dinner & Swim Special @ Fernie Stanford Resort Jameson Shotgon Karaoke @ The Royal Half Price Appy’s @ The Fernie Hotel. 5pm Store and Tasting Room Open @ Fernie Brewing Company, 10am – 6pm Closed @ Infinitea, available for private functions Tasting Night @ The Loaf. A four course tasting menu paired with wines for $40 Industry Bingo @ The Northern, 9pm $20 Pasta and Wine Night @ Cirque Restaurant High Roller Pool Comp @ Kodiak Lounge, 8:30pm WEDNESDAYS Wings 50% Off Single Order @ Boston Pizza Wine Evenings @ The Brickhouse Trivia Night @ The Fernie Hotel. 8pm Pint night @ Kodiak Lounge Build Your Own Poutine @ The Pub Bar & Grill Waxing Wednesday @ Trillium Day Spa, free underam wax with any other hair removal $15 Jugs and $8 Wings @ The Northern Wax On Wednesday @ 901 Spa, 30% off waxing services.

Store and Tasting Room Open @ Fernie Brewing Company, 10am – 6pm Zak’s Jam Night @ The Royal, with PBR and Old Mill specials.

Margherita pizza and two glasses of wine for $20 @ The Loaf Wednesdays 1/2 Price Ice Bar 4-9pm @ Lizard Creek Lodge Ice Bar

OUTDOOR & FAMILY MONDAYS •Dominoes @ The Seniors Drop in Centre 1pm •Mahjong @ Seniors Drop in Centre 7pm •Special Olympics Athletes Bowling @ Sparwood. 4pm •Duplicate Bridge Game @ The Seniors Drop-in Centre, 6pm •Seniors Drop in @ Senior’s Centre, 9am-2pm •Pickleball @ Fernie Community Centre, 10-11:30am ••Indoor Walking @ The Community Centre, 9-10:30am •Community Climb Night @ Evolution Climbing Gym, 7pm •Ladies Night Boxing @ Fernie Old School Boxing Club, 7:30-9pm •Discover Yoga @ Essential Yoga Studio, 7:30-8:30pm •Parent Tot Funtimes @ Knox United Church, 9:30am-12pm •Club Cre8 @ The Arts Station, for kids K – Grade 6 •Group Ride with Caleb and Rob @ Gearhub, 6pm •Drop In Play @ The Play Room, 9-1pm (except July 3 & August 7) •StrongStart @ Isabella Dicken Elementary School, 9-12. Free program, kids 3-5 welcome.

•Parent Tot Fun Times @ Community Centre, 9:30-12pm •Elk Valley Chapter of Days for Girls Sewathon @ Basement of Christ Church. Last Monday of every month from 1-5pm.

•Public Swimming @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 6:30am-1pm, 3pm-8pm •Adult Shinny @ Fernie Arena, 8:45-10:15am TUESDAYS •Cheap Night @ The Vogue Theatre. $6.50 - 2D & $8.50 - 3D •Crib/Whist @ Seniors Drop in Centre 7pm •Storytime @ Library, 11:15-12pm for ages 3–5.

•Seniors Drop in @ Senior’s Centre, 9am-2pm •Adaptive Yoga @ Senior’s Drop In Centre 2:30pm •Chess Group @ Fernie Seniors Centre, 7pm •Ladies Archery @ The Elks Hall, 6:30pm •Mixed Boxing Recreational @ Fernie Old School Boxing Club, 7:30-9pm ••Indoor Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, 8:30-10:30am •Open Climbing @ Evolution Climbing Gym ••Never Bored for Tweens @ Fernie Heritage Library, 3:30-4:45pm for Grades 5-7.

•Knits, Knots & Yarns @ Heritage Library, 3:30-4:45pm, ages 8+.

•Kids Coding Club @ Library, 3:45-4:45pm, 8+. Registration required.

•Ladies Day @ Fernie Golf and Country Club •English Conversation Cafe @ CBAL office 9:30am-11:30am, Free •English Conversation Cafe, Evening Class @ CBAL office 6-7:30pm •Public Climbing @ College of the Rockies, 7-10pm, $7 •Ladies Ride with Jenny and Ashley @ Gear Hub, 6pm •Drop in @ The Play Room, 10:30am – 2:30pm, facebook.com/theplayroomfernie •StrongStart @ Isabella Dicken Elementary School, 9-12. Free program, kids 3-5 welcome.

•Fernie Community Choir @ The Fernie Arts Station, 7-9pm •Kindergym @ Fernie Family Centre, 10-11am. $6 •Family Early Years Hub @ Fernie Heritage Library, 1:30-3pm. Join Jodie

Skating

Tarot Readings @ Infinitea, from 8pm Well Wednesdays: Drinks $4 @ Kodiak Lounge, all night long THURSDAYS Large Pizza for Price of Medium @ Boston Pizza Jam Night @ The Brickhouse Spiced Rum Specials @ Kodiak Lounge Featured Pub Burgers @ Max Restaurant & The Pub Bar & Grill Burger and Beer Special @ The Fernie 2 Medium Pizza Special @ Elk Valley Pizza 6oz Cocktail Jugs $20 @ The Northern 2oz Espresso martinis $8 (1st & 3rd Thur @ Infinitea Store and Tasting Room Open @ Fernie Brewing Company, 10am – 6pm Pub Team Trivia @ The Pub Bar & Grill Taco Thursday @ Frida, any three tacos for $12 Naturalist/Aurora DJs @ The Royal, alternating weeks 2 oz Summer Cocktails $8 @ Infinitea Thirsty Thursdays: $4 Beers @ Kodiak Lounge, all night long FRIDAYS Cactus Cut Nachos $12.50 @ Boston Pizza Live Music Fridays @ Infinitea 8pm TGIF & Chicken dinner draw @ Kodiak Lounge Fish & Chips @ The Pub Bar & Grill $13 Fish and Chips, Meat Draw and Members Draw @ The Fernie Hotel. Supporting FTA. Live bands and DJs @ The Royal

Seniors Programming

Kids Programming

Parker to get connected to free services for families in Fernie. All welcome.

•Public Swimming @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 10:30am-1pm, 3-8pm •Adult Shinny @ Fernie Arena, 8:45-10:15am •Public Skating @ Fernie Arena, 10:30 – 11:15am FREE VolunTeens @ Fernie Heritage Library, 3:45-5pm for ages 12+ looking to get involved in our community.

WEDNESDAYS •Crib @ Seniors Drop in Centre 1pm •Gentle Exercise @ Seniors Drop In Centre 10:45am ••Adult Badminton @ The Community Centre. Drop in for $5 •AA Meetings @ The Anglican Church Basement, 7:30pm •Water Flow Yoga & Tea @ Infinitea, 10:30am •Mixed Boxing Recreational @ Fernie Old School Boxing Club, 7:30-9pm ••Toddlertime @ Fernie Heritage Library, 11:15am for ages 0-2.

••Indoor Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, 8:30-10:30am •Open Climbing @ Evolution Climbing Gym ••Unplugged @ Heritage Library, 3:30-4:45pm for ages 8+, drop in •Tai Chi @ Seniors Drop In Centre 6:30pm •Read it First Book/Movie Club @ Library, 3:45-4:45pm for ages 10+.

•Men’s Night @ Fernie Golf and Country Club •Fernie Women on Wheels @ Bike Park Gazebo, Fernie Aquatic Centre at 6:30pm. All levels welcome.

•English Conversation Cafe @ CBAL office 9:30am-11:30am, Free •Drop in @ The Play Room, 12:30-4:30pm, facebook.com/theplayroomfernie •StrongStart @ Isabella Dicken Elementary School, 9-12. Free program, kids 3-5 welcome.

•Kindergym @ Fernie Family Centre, 10-11am. $6 •Celebrate Recovery @ Mountainside Church, 6:30-8:30pm •Knit Clique @ Fernie Heritage Library, 10am. BYO project, enter through back entrance.

•Public Swimming @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 6:30am-1pm, 3pm-8pm •Adult Shinny @ Fernie Arena, 8:45-10:15am •Parent and Tot Skating @ Fernie Arena, 10:30 – 11:15am FREE •Skate and Shoot @ Fernie Arena, 10:45-11:45am •Lego Club @ Fernie Heritage Library, 3:45-5pm for ages 7+ THURSDAYS •Seniors Drop in @ Senior’s Centre, 9am-2pm •Morning Yoga @ Seniors Drop In Centre 8:00am •Canasta / Cards @ Seniors Drop In Centre 1pm •Pickleball @ Fernie Community Centre, 10-11:30am •Yoga @ Fernie Seniors Centre, 11:30am •Seniors Drop in Library Club @ Rocky Mountain Village, 11am •Reading with Seniors @ Rocky Mountain Village, 11am •RC Club @ Fernie Community Centre. 7-9pm.

•Community Basketball @ Fernie Secondary School, 8:30-10:30pm •Mixed Boxing Competitive @ Fernie Old School Boxing Club, 7:30-9pm •Kids Sing Along & Play Group @ Infinitea, 11:30am •Youth Archery @ The Elks Hall, 6pm •Bellies to Babies @ Fernie Women’s Centre, 1-3pm every 2nd Thursday.

•Open Roller Skating Evening @ Max Turyk Gym, $2 6-7pm

Golf

Date Night Special @ Spa 901 Live music from 6-9pm @ The Loaf Fish & Chip Night @ The Pub Happy Hour $15 Jugs and $3 Highballs @ Clubhouse Restaurant, 3-6pm SATURDAYS Desserts $2 off @ Boston Pizza Meat Draw & Bar Quiz @ The Legion Tequila Specials @ Kodiak Lounge Open Mix and Live Music @ The Fernie Live bands and DJs@ The Royal Coffee and Baileys Special @ The Bridge Bistro Taco and Marg Night @ Fridas, enjoy three tacos and a margarita for $20 Vinyl Appreciation Night @ Infinitea, bring your records and enjoy $6 glasses of wine Happy Hour $2 off Cocktails @ Clubhouse Restaurant, 3-6pm Feature Salad Specials @ Max Restaurant and The Pub SUNDAYS $4.99 Kids Meals @ Boston Pizza Caesars on Special @ The Brickhouse All day breakfast @ The Fernie. 9am-4pm $10 BBQ & Beats, 6-9pm @ Infinitea Dinner & Swim Special @ Fernie Stanford Resort Curry Sundays & Caesar Specials @ The Pub Caesars Special @ The Bridge Bistro Roast dinner, family-style from 3-10pm @ The Loaf. $15 adults, $7.50 for kids

Swim

Library Program

Other

•Kids Boxing Boot Camp @ Old School Boxing Club, ages 8-16 5pm.

••Indoor Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, 8:30-10:30am •Bellies to Babies @ Fernie Women’s Resource Centre, 1-3pm every 2nd Thursday.

••Lego Club @ Library, 3:30-4:45pm for ages 7+, must register •Junior’s Night @ Fernie Golf and Country Club •Fernie Mountain Bike Club Work Party Night @ Bike Park, 6:30pm. Come out and support the trails.

•Public Climbing @ College of the Rockies, 7-10pm, $7 •Fernie Book Bike @ Rocky Mountain Village (11am), Tom Uphill (11:45am) and Trinity Lodge (12:15pm) •StrongStart @ Isabella Dicken Elementary School, 9-12. Free program, kids 3-5 welcome.

•MOMS Group @ Fernie Heritage Library, 9:30-11:20am •Public Swimming @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 10:30am-1pm, 3-8pm •Adult Shinny @ Fernie Arena, 8:45-10:15am •Public Skating @ Fernie Arena, 10:30 – 11:15am FREE •Creative Outlet @ Fernie Heritage Library, 3:45-5pm for ages 9+ FRIDAYS •Cribbage @ Seniors Drop in Centre 7pm •Jitney Darts @ Fernie Legion, 7:30pm ••Kids Sing Along & Play Group @ Infinitea, 11:30am ••Toddlertime @ Fernie Heritage Library Ages 0-2 11:15am •Breastfeeding Mammas @ Library, first Friday of the month.

•AFRoS @ Fernie Heritage Library, 10-11am. Sing and play in French.

•Senior’s Day @ Fernie Golf and Country Club •Drop in @ The Play Room, 12:30-4:30pm, facebook.com/theplayroomfernie •StrongStart @ Isabella Dicken Elementary School, 9-12. Free program, kids 3-5 welcome.

•Kindergym @ Fernie Family Centre, 10-11am. $6 •Public Swimming @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 6:30am-1pm, 3pm-8pm •Public Skating @ Fernie Arena, 6:45-8pm •Youth Shinny @ Fernie Arena, 10:45-11:45am (No School Fridays) •Public Skating @ Fernie Arena, 12-12:45pm (No School Fridays) SATURDAYS •Karma Meditation Class @ Essential Yoga Studio 8:00am-8:45am •Open Climbing @ Evolution Climbing Gym •Prenatal Yoga @ Essential Yoga, 11:30am-12:30pm •Heritage Walking Tour @ Fernie Museum, 11-12:30pm •Public Swimming @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 12-6pm •Public Skating @ Fernie Arena, 2-3:45pm and 6:45-8pm •Public Skating @ Fernie Arena, 2:15-3:30pm SUNDAYS •Fernie Pets Society Group Walk @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 9am.

•AA Meetings @ The Anglican Church Basement, 7:30pm •Heritage Walking Tour @ Fernie Museum, 11-12:30pm •Public Swimming @ Fernie Aquatic Centre, 12-6pm

FERNIEFIX.COM

21

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Community and Events

YOU’VE GOT MALE

It Takes a Village

by ADAM K MACDONALD

J

oseph Stalin is quoted as saying, “Gratitude is a sickness suffered by dogs.”

I couldn’t disagree more.

By the time you see the next issue of the Fix in the shops around Fernie, I will be a father of three. I love being a Dad, and I love watching my wife be a Mom. Having had two miscarriages before having our first son, has helped us to appreciate just how precious parenthood is. That doesn’t mean I can always maintain anything resembling Zen calm when toothpaste gets squeezed out all over the bathroom, but it does help with perspective.

I have read that a major factor in resiliency in kids is the number and quality of positive relationships they have with adults who are not their parents. These are adults that kids could go to if something was bothering them. Our kids have loving grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends, mentors and extended families who love our kids and have special relationships with them. Our kids love getting rides on the quad with Grampie. When the kids’ aunt, who lives in Fernie, visits, they race to the front door, shouting “Auntie!”... pure joy.

When another friend of ours comes over, our kids will ask him to repeat his “magic trick” (distracting the kids and hiding a spoon while they’re not watching) that he performed months earlier. Their teachers and coaches occupy celebrity status. When the kids see these people in the grocery store, it’s big news.

Sure, for me, it’s nice to relax while someone else entertains my kids. Or to go out on dates, and be reminded why I fell in love with my wife, while someone else babysits. But those interactions, those relationships that our family and friends and neighbours and others build with our kids, are important beyond measure.

Resiliency, simplified, is the ability to bounce back. Of course I love my kids.

MANY HANDS MAKES CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN MORE REWARDING (AND EASIER) V. CROOME PHOTO

We are grateful for the awesome people in our kids’ lives, the ones far away, and those who make up our Fernie Family. It is true, what they say, about it taking a village to raise a child.

But when my kids see that other adults, great adults, love them and see something special in them too – that’s huge. My kids become more well-rounded, and less dependent on my validation. Then, during those times when their Dad overreacts about something like a spilled toothpaste tube, they might be more likely to blame Dad being cranky, rather than on some shortcoming of theirs.

We don’t see some of our old friends as much as we used to. Our lives are filled with family time and the many awesome children’s programs in Fernie. We are usually in bed much earlier than we used

to be (and up earlier, whether we want to be or not). Our schedule is influenced by naptimes and toilet training, and all the other joys of parenthood. But we are lucky to have some pretty awesome friends. We get to meet up with friends who have similar age kids, and hang out with them while the kids play. For the friends who don’t have kids, they are flexible of our new reality, and are awesome with our kids.

They play with our kids in ways that we don’t always get to as parents (and they provide us with some much-welcomed adult conversation).

I am grateful for all the people who help raise our kids and I want to say a big thank you to all of them. We are grateful for the awesome people in our kids’ lives, the ones far away, and those who make up our Fernie Family. It is true, what they say, about it taking a village to raise a child.

How about you? Are you grateful to someone? Have you thanked them yet? If not, why are you… stallin’?

FERNIEFIX.COM

23

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Community and Events

FAMILY STOKE

Penguins in the Pool

by SHELBY CAIN

T

he world has faced some major challenges lately. When you think about it, 2017 has played out like a tale from biblical times. An evil ruler has taken over, rewarding the rich and persecuting the poor and the disenfranchised. He is raising giant walls and golden towers in his likeness, built on the backs of the labourers and common people, erected purely to honour himself and isolate everyone who will not fall to their knees and worship him. But he has angered the Gods with his gluttony, and in turn, the greater powers have brought forth “fire and fury,” an environmental wrath the likes of which we have never seen. They have shaken the Earth and ravaged the land with fire and flood. Seriously, can you believe this crap?

And yet, somehow, I feel more thankful than ever. This strikes me as odd. A year ago, the state of things was definitely better.

There was more peace and kindness and rain fell from the sky and the forests were not glowing with an angry blaze. We could camp and bike ride and hike wherever we wanted, warming ourselves by a fire and licking the sugary s’mores from our sticky fingers. Is it possible that the tougher things get, the more grateful we are for what we still have? I think, maybe, yes.

Back in July, when the fire in the Caribou raged out of control and people were fleeing with ten-minutes’ worth of scrambled belongings, I watched an interview that shifted my entire perspective on gratefulness. I’ve always taken for granted that the more you have, the more you have to be grateful for. I imagined that people living in gold palaces with butlers and real penguins swimming in the pool must be SO thankful for their amazing lives. And then the levels of gratefulness were ratcheted down from there. I fall somewhere in the middle, which is pretty

SMOKEY SKIES IN OUR BACKYARD | V. CROOME PHOTO

thankful, but, you know, not like Jay-Z thankful. Then I watched the interview.

It was a man named Bob, who a TV station had managed to corral and place before a camera just as he returned to the home he’d been evacuated from two days earlier. Except there was no home behind Bob. Instead, there was a pile of ashes, still smoldering and sparking where his home, the home he’d built with his wife forty-five years earlier, used to be. But Bob wasn’t crying. Bob was standing before the black mess with a huge smile on his face. The reporter asked him why he was smiling, and he replied, “Oh, this is just stuff. My wife and I got out fine, and we got the dog and the two cats too. I’m just so thankful we managed to catch the cats!”

That was Bob. And he was thankful. This got me thinking. Maybe I had the whole concept of gratefulness wrong. Maybe being grateful has absolutely nothing to do with what we have or don’t have. Maybe, it’s all in the way you look at things. After I recovered from the crowning of the evil

ruler, a catastrophe I thought I’d never get over, I started to feel grateful. For living in Canada. For marching women. And then, for firefighters and clean water and access to food, and laying my head on my own pillow every night. And for my family.

I am overwhelmed by my gratitude. I get a lump in my throat every time I turn on the news, watching storms pound down and buildings burning and men and women putting their own safety at risk to help others. We live in a world where people will still paddle their kayak down a Texas street searching for missing dogs, and pilots will fly directly into a wall of fire to save someone’s barn. A Lama who lost his sister in the fire has a go-fund-me page to repair his fence and buy some fresh hay. He’s doing quite well. And Bob found his cats. It’s a good world. And if you look for them, you will find so many reasons to be grateful that your cup will runneth over. And I bet none of them will involve live penguins swimming in your pool.

Although, let’s face it, that would be cool.

FERNIEFIX.COM

25

Outdoor Life

NEVER HAVE I EVER

SUMMIT SUNSET AND SMOKEY SKIES | PHOTO BY POLISH SOLO CAMPER

Great Mountain Gratitude

by JESSE BELL

T

he sun has the most glorious glow I have ever seen ­– hues of bloodreds blend with the faded blue of day, and Fisher Peak is far-off, blackened in silhouette. For a moment the wind stops, and everything goes quiet.

“This is the most incredible sunset,” Maddy says to me. We sit on jagged rocks on the summit of Three Sisters, having spent the better part of the afternoon getting here.

The heat was relentless, the scree slopes endless, but the end result – a summit sunset with a friend – is worth every struggling, exhausting step.

As the sunlight wavers we cheer aloud, and then begin to notice other red glows; forest fires to the south, the east, and the north, with billowing plumes of smoke

escaping high into the atmosphere to meet us at 2,788 metres. It has been the hottest summer I can remember, and I can’t recall the last day it rained.

I feel the warmth of the sun disappear from my face, replaced with the chill of an alpine night. We laugh at something insignificant, and then despite the fires, the blistered feet, and the below-average chilli dinner, I feel grateful – this is home.

We begin early afternoon, hidden by the shade of Mount Bisaro.This is Maddy’s first ascent – I can tell by the way she leads on the trail, eager to reach the top, unsure of what it will take to get there. And though I know this trail inside out, I too am excited to hike again. I seem to forget the length, the climb, the exposure, every time.

A meadow comes into view, and I yell at Maddy to stop.

I haven’t hiked much this summer. With 1.3 million hectares burned and/or burning in BC, the heat and smoke have done well to dissuade me from strenuous outdoor adventures.

“It’s magical,” I say, and take a photo of her. Bugs and pollen fly around her in the sunlight that beams between pine trees like forest fairies. For a moment I forget my tiredness.

But Maddy and I, determined to summit even one substantial peak, pack our bags with a tent, sleeping gear, coffee, food, and water, and head for the summit of Three Sisters. If one night in the backcountry is what we get, we’ll take it.

We reach a small creek, the last sign of water before our descent tomorrow. Then it’s onwards through thinning trees to the less-than-favourable scree of the alpine. I reach Maddy at the col, and she asks which way we go; to the summit of the middle Sister, another 2-kilometre climb on bare escarpment.

“Wait,” she says. “We go up there?”

The remaining two-kilometre walk is leg-burning. Halfway up Maddy sits on the trail and waits for me. She asks for her grapes, and tells me she is exhausted.

I breathe a sigh of relief – I thought I was the only one who might be dying. There is a mountain goat down the bank, and she mumbles that the goat should carry her the rest of the way.

We climb on, and the next time I see her is at the top.

“You’re here! You’re here!” she yells, and sends me a high-five. Then I remember why I hike Three Sisters; 360-degree views, a comfy tent, and my soul-sister with a first-ascent grin across her face. We make dinner, eat croissants, and watch as the sun sets behind Fisher Peak. The flames from a fire nearby replace the red-glow of the sun.

When dark comes we both look down on Fernie, and I think how strange it is that

our entire lives exist there, along a small grid of lit-up streets. It looks fragile, but it is resilient.

We message our friend Anna, and ask her to look from town for our flashlight glowing on the summit. She spots us, and sends a photo back.

In the morning we wake to sunrise over a smoky sky. A plane flies close overhead. We drink coffee, sign our names on a rock – a small but semi-permanent gesture that we, in fact, were here – and hike down.

Five days later the backcountry closes. I didn’t know it at the time, but hiking the Three Sisters with Maddy would become the single-most impactful moment of my summer. And now we watch from town as the smoke engulfs the first, second, and third Sister, time and time again.

But we were up there, and I am grateful.

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Outdoor Life

SPIN TO WIN

VINCE MO PHOTO

The Elk Valley Trail

by JULIE KELLY, FTA

W

e have so much to be grateful for in Fernie. With all the recent Wildfires in BC and surrounding area, we are truly fortunate to have been minimally impacted.

Yes, we had our trail closure for a few weeks but it just makes you appreciate the fantastic trails even more.

One trail that we have so many people to give our gratitude to is the Elk Valley Trail (part of The Great Trail/Trans Canada Trail).

Firstly, the funders, Trans Canada Trail and Columbia Basin Trust for supporting this project. Thank you to all the volunteers, contractors and our Project Manager, Jeff Volp for your countless hours on the trail.

Finally, to the landowners who gave us permission to build on their land.

A very accessible segment of the trail is the Fernie to Hosmer piece.You can do it as an out and back or arrange for a ride back to town. A great pick up location is at the Hosmer Ruins off Stephenson Road.

Start at the Aquatic Centre, cross Ridgemont Drive and take Kootenay Elk Trail to Old Stumpy, a double track segment. The fun begins as you start the climb on Coal Discovery Trail. This has been revitalized with some great berms and flow sections. Once you get off the single track at the Porky Blue junction, turn left

and follow the power line to Hosmer. There are some good ups and downs, finishing with a downhill to the pick up point at the Hosmer Ruins.

For more information on the Elk Valley Trail and to view the brochure visit our website Fernietrailsalliancecom.You can also follow the route on Trailforks.com.

Distance: Approx. 15 km (one way) Time: Approx. 2-2.5 hours Difficulty: Blue FERNIEFIX.COM

29

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Health and Lifestyle

FIT TO CHALLENGE

Preparing for Ski Season SARAH INGRAM, BSC.HONS.KINESIOLOGY, BCAK PRACTICING KINESIOLOGIST

T

he summer was amazing and as we transition into winter, now is the time to start prepping for the ski season. If you have never done this before, it is an absolute game changer and well worth the effort!

Here are five tips to get you going.

1. CARDIO. Building up a good cardio base is a great way to get back into things.

Even though skiing is predominantly a short duration start/stop sport, having a good cardio base helps your muscles prepare for the ski hill as well as being able to recover from a day on the slopes.

At least 20 minutes, three times weekly is recommended to get you going the first four weeks.

2. “PREHAB”. Prehab (preventative rehabilitation) means addressing current weaknesses and injuries as well as anticipating what aspects of your sport may cause overuse injuries. Take the knees for example, doing stability exercises such as wobble board squats will help your knees strengthen and stabilize as well as improve their ability to sustain awkward ski turns or glide through flatlight bumps. If you have old rehabilitation routines, it’s probably not a bad idea to try them this month and make sure they can be done without difficulty.

3. STRENGTH. Basic strength training, 3 sets of 10 reps, of all major muscle groups will also help build your base so you can move into more sport-specific exercises in the few weeks prior to the season starting. Three times weekly is ideal.

4. AGILITY. During your base building phase, lateral hops and light jumping activities are recommended, provided they are done without discomfort. These

STRENGTHEN AND STABILIZE | V. CROOME PHOTO

...this is an important time to stay focused towards an awesome winter season and to be grateful for this time to prepare yourself for the pow days ahead. are best incorporated into your strength exercises while you are resting between sets in manageable intervals of 20-30 seconds.

of each major muscle group. Hold each stretch for 5-10 long breaths. Range of motion or mobility exercises are great to start your routine with (arm circles, alternate knee raises, straight leg kicks) to ensure each joint is mobile and without restriction.

With only weeks to go before the ski hill opens, this is an important time to stay focused towards an awesome winter season and to be grateful for this time to prepare yourself for the pow days ahead.

5. FLEXIBILITY. Always end your cardio and strength program with a good stretch FERNIEFIX.COM

31

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Health and Lifestyle

Rachael’s Reflection

obtaining food aren’t as easy. In many parts of the world, fresh fruits and vegetables simply aren’t accessible at all. The simple task of sitting down for a meal with your loved ones is a great opportunity to take a moment and reflect on how lucky we are as Canadians.

by TIFFANY SCHEBESCH, RD, BASC

R

achael and her partner Ryan have lived in Fernie for a few years and have come to the conclusion that this was the worst year they’ve experienced in wild fire emergencies. Ryan works as a volunteer with the BC Fire Relief and Rachel has been through a rush of emotion this summer between her appreciation for his service and her own personal fear of his safe return. She is also feeling grateful the wildfire season is slowly coming to an end as she anxiously awaits the inevitable cool, rainy weather. As Thanksgiving approaches, she begins to reflect on the summer and the tireless hours the entire BC Fire Relief team has dedicated to the province in keeping her community safe.

Despite the hardship, the province has endured this summer, Rachael makes note of how grateful she is to live in Canada. As she browses the supermarket, she stops for a moment to respect and appreciate all the flavours, colours and smells.

In Canada, most of us are lucky enough to have food to eat each day, a bed to sleep in and loved ones who bring us joy.Yet somehow, through cultural and societal conditioning, we’ve come to favour the negative aspects of our lives and what we feel we’re doing wrong. This leaves us feeling guilty and stressed – and the negative feedback cycle continues. This is why I often begin sessions with my clients with “what went well this week?” This gently refocuses the mind to focus on the positive aspects of our lives and enhances one’s self-worth. To clarify, this isn’t negating feelings of sadness, anger or grief; it is simply giving us an outlet to redirect our thoughts and feelings to help us feel more grateful in the moment. Recently, a study was done at the University of California that found studying and practicing gratitude is linked to many benefits including:

FOOD INTELLIGENCE

2. Local farmers If you haven’t checked out the Mountain Market yet, put this on your calendar for next year! It runs from July 1 to midSeptember and features an array of local produce and artisan gifts. I could go on for hours about the benefits of farmer’s markets including a sense of community, contributing to our local economy and limiting your carbon footprint – but what really stands out to me is how good it feels at the Mountain Market. Local farmers truly are the cornerstones of our food supply and as such, I find it only appropriate to take a moment to appreciate their hard work.

3. Charitable food donations SUBMITTED PHOTO

• Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure; • Higher levels of positive emotions; • More joy, optimism and happiness; • Acting with more generosity and compassion; • Feeling less lonely and isolated However, I’ve always been a “practice what you preach” kind of lady, so here are my top three positive appreciation moments this month!

This Thanksgiving I’m grateful for…

1.Canada’s abundance of fresh, healthy foods At any given time of the year, we have access to supermarkets filled with colourful fruits and vegetables, freshly baked breads and aisles lined with non-perishables. When we look around the world, the means of

The Salvation Army in Fernie works tirelessly to provide food to those who are in need, and further efforts are increased during holiday times such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Check out Ann’s Independent for the food donation bin at the end of the check out. If you are fortunate enough to buy the food for your family gathering, consider donating to our local fund to keep everyone fed this Thanksgiving – it feels good!

The Fernie food bank is located in the Salvation Army on 741 2nd Ave and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30am to 12pm, and 1pm to 4pm. If you’re interested in accessing their services, they do require you bring ID and income and expense information – pop in and ask them for more information!

What are you thankful for this month?

FERNIEFIX.COM

33

BOOKED! Fernie Writers’ Series 2017 Presented by the Fernie Heritage Library

LORNA CROZIER & PATRICK LANE

2 2 2 2 2

TWO LOCATIONS

Fernie: 561B, Hwy 3 Cranbrook: 307-535 Victoria Ave N.

Friday Oct 6th, 7:00 pm

Fernie Heritage Library Doors at 7:00 pm Event at 8:00pm Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane are among Canada’s pre-eminent poets. Between them they have been awarded many of Canada’s most prestigious literary & poetry awards.

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Health and Lifestyle

Keeping Your Lungs Healthy

to work, take our kids to school, and even partake in the outdoor activities that we associate with the season. We must then consider other ways we can optimize our lung health to reduce the toll this exposure plays on this delicate tissue.

by DR. TAINA TURCASSO, N.D., R.M.

T

he body’s detoxification systems work to clean and filter the air we breathe, the food and water we eat, the blood circulating through our body and the metabolites created by the different processes occurring at the cellular level.

We generally think of the liver when we think of “detoxification” but the lungs are another essential detoxification organ.

We breathe in air which travels to the lungs through our trachea and bronchi for filtration, and ultimately reaching an exchange system which allows carbon dioxide to be expelled and blood from the heart to be oxygenated and sent back to the heart before being distributed throughout the body. This oxygen is critical for the functioning of all of our essential organs.

Many of us rarely consider our lungs on a day to day basis unless we are overexerting ourselves, but there are several common conditions that impact the lungs and make them more vulnerable to external stressors, including asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. People who suffer from these conditions maintain a higher level of awareness of their surroundings, and the quality of air that they inhale, but for the rest of us, it takes prolonged exposure or air quality warnings to force us to pay attention.

The three things we can do to optimize our respiratory function and lung health are regular exercise, not smoking, and maintaining exposure to air of good quality.

Generally speaking, we are able to control whether or not we partake in regular exercise and limit our exposure to cigarette smoke, but sometimes it is impossible to avoid exposure to air pollution. We typically consider poor air quality to be associated with large cities, but this summer we were exposed to poor air quality over several weeks due to smoke from wildfires in surrounding areas.

HEALTH NATURALLY

V. CROOME PHOTO

The three things we can do to optimize our respiratory function and lung health are regular exercise, not smoking, and maintaining exposure to air of good quality.

Wildfires generate smoke and ash containing particles that act as irritants to eyes, mucous membranes, and most notably, the lung tissue responsible for pulling oxygen from the air. These particles may be visible, but even if they aren’t visible, they are present and insidiously act to either trigger pre-existing lung conditions, or even create compromised lung function in those of us with no previous history or preexisting condition of lung disease.

The best way to limit the damage due to pollutants such as smoke in your environment is to limit exposure, but clearly when air quality is compromised over an extended period of time, we have no choice but to continue on with our day-to-day lives, leaving our house to go

The first step is to consider the toxins in the home and take any necessary steps to keep the air inside your home clean and toxin free. This may mean installing an air purifier, changing its filter, regularly vacuuming to eliminate pet hair and dander; whatever it takes to reduce the number of irritants your lungs are exposed to in your home or your “safe space”. The next step is to incorporate antioxidants such as brightly coloured fruits and vegetables into your diet to help reduce the inflammation occurring in the lung tissue.

You may also consider adding a supplement containing vitamins A, C, E, and Selenium to your diet, all powerful antioxidants contributing to the elimination of harmful free radicals in your body.

Green leafy vegetables, as well as cruciferous vegetables also act as antioxidants, promoting lung health. Carotenoids, such as those in tomatoes, red peppers, and carrots, have also demonstrated benefits to the lung tissue, as have foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

In addition to incorporating a lot of antioxidant-rich and whole foods into your diet, and trying to keep your exposure to air pollutants to a minimum, it is also important to maintain other generally healthy habits such as sleep, hydration, and exercise. All three of these are critical for optimal function of our organs, which all ultimately play a role in managing a sudden increase in toxin exposure, whatever its source. We may not always be able to predict when our exposure to “accidental” toxins will suddenly increase, but we are often able to adjust and react in a way that can help to mitigate the impact, and allow our body to sustain the health of its tissues and maintain a picture of overall health.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Bits and Bytes

THE ANSWER GUY

Phishing

by KEVIN MCISAAC

P

hishing is a specific type of email scam that involves trying to get the person that received the email to give up private information, such as a password, by making them believe the email is a request from a legitimate source An example is the phony bank request letters that implore you to log into your account and verify some transaction.

Clicking on the link in the email does not take you to the location you think you are going. Instead you are presented with a page that looks exactly like the one you expect and then any information you type in is copied.

Phishing is differentiated from spam emails in that spam is a general call to action to everyone that receives the email. Phishing is much more selective and generally uses an indirect approach. Many people that receive it will simply discard it, because the request doesn’t make any sense or apply to them.

Spear-phishing is an even narrower type of scam. Often targeting a specific company or even specific individuals.

A recent high profile spear phishing event happened after individuals in the accounting department of a company received what appeared to be legitimate requests from suppliers to make changes to the suppliers’ accounts. After the changes were made, payments to those suppliers disappeared into the bank accounts of the hackers.

The interesting thing about this type of hack is it generally depends on a very sophisticated understanding of the individual or company being targeted. In the example above the hackers knew the individuals targeted were not management, but did have account updating capability.

In other words, a lot of time was put into

investigating this firm long before the phishing attempt.

This is typical of spear-phishing. Often some useful piece of information has been gleaned from an online post, a group email, an answer to a survey, etc. which provides the hacker with a way to make their attempt appear legitimate.

What can you do to protect yourself and your company?

Whenever there is any doubt, however niggling, that an email request doesn’t look right, contact the organization directly to confirm. Do not click on a link in the email. Pick up the phone and call them using the number you would normally use, not the one in the bottom of the email. In other words, assume that all the communication information in the email has been compromised.

What can set off that niggle? Well, almost always legitimate communication will include a piece of information that is not publicly available: perhaps your login ID. Legitimate emails do not contain “Dear Customer” greetings.

Know the practices of the organizations you deal with. No bank anywhere is going to send you an email telling you to log in and confirm anything. Banks send information by email, but collect via phone or letter.

If you receive an email from an online entity such as PayPal or Amazon, do not use the provided link. Open your browser and type the URL in yourself. This simple step will defeat almost all phishing attempts. The URLs in phishing emails look legitimate, but there many ways to disguise a URL such that it doesn’t take you where you want to go. (As discussed in a previous column.)

Whenever there is any doubt, however niggling, that an email request doesn’t look right, contact the organization directly to confirm.

Use different passwords for different websites. Phishing is not a direct money grab. It’s a way to collect information to be used later. The login and password that you use to log in and see “Netflix Upcoming Movies,” in a phishing email, will then be tried on every pay site on the Internet to see if they work there.

Use Two Factor Authentication if it’s available. Some sites with sensitive information, such as Gmail let you setup your mobile phone to be used to confirm that it is you logging in. Then when you don’t get a request for the code sent to your phone to log in, your spidey senses should go off.

Report phishing attempts to Google at safebrowsing.google.com They and other browser makers are constantly improving their browsers to filter phishing attempts.

Also, the RCMP has an excellent page on identifying phishing emails and locations where suspected phishing attempts can be reported: rcmp-grc.gc.ca/scams-fraudes/ phishing-eng.htm.

Happy (and safe) Computing.

Bits and Bytes

October 2017

by YANN LORANGER

S

eptember proved the presence of Uranus as prominent with hurricanes (or forest fires).Yes, hurricanes are directly connected with Uranus and it is interesting to read last month’s column imagining these natural disasters (including Harvey of course) having “Uranus” lines and us, humanity, trying to manage the situation, having “Jupiter” lines. This reveals some previously hidden aspects of the dialogue.

Also interesting to note is that as the total solar eclipse went across the US, the hurricanes also went across most of the US. Showing another sign that something important is stirring in our neighbouring country.

October brings Jupiter in Scorpio, finally leaving Libra. Scorpio is linked with our unconsciousness, the nature of what we bring with us when we pass away as well as what we leave behind at this very moment. Mercury, Moon and Sun will all join Jupiter one by one, respectively at 1, 2 and 3 degrees in Libra. This means that, as our Jupiter enters the mysterious realm of Scorpio, all three –­ our mind, our imagination and our consciousness –follow along. The result is simple: we will not forget about our Jupiter simply because it dives into the sometimes obscure Scorpio.

Instead, we will dive in with him and start managing, dealing with, and facing those realities of our unconscious world.

The entire work we did with the Square between Pluto and Jupiter the last nine months on our power issues will be extremely useful! This work gave us the experience needed to start dealing with Scorpio energies. There will be a great change in our way of making decisions.

They will be based upon a different paradigm and will be sensitive to things like mourning, grieving, consequences of difficult life conditions and will be aiming towards making progress beyond appearances. We will set different criteria

to facilitate helping and supporting others and we will start investing our energies accordingly.

Another strong aspect: the conjunction of Mars and Venus in Virgo. The conjunction will form a Square with Saturn and a Trine with Pluto. This indicates that even if our emotions and desires are very strong to play in the realm of Scorpio, they are both under high surveillance (Pluto and Saturn being the best guardians we could imagine!) and should leave this Scorpio space to the planets we mentioned above.

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

Aries (March 21 - April 29) Meditation Our spontaneous answers seem to be wrong. It’s time to ponder and let other answers come.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Lighten Our taste for rich food, heavy meals, abundance, physically and emotionally doesn’t serve us well. Let’s consider a fast or some sort of detox.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Polyvalent It is time to use our ability to understand a great variety of realities, people, conditions, etc.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) Faithful Like a good mother, we stand aside and support the overall situation with all our substance!

Leo (July 23 - Aug 22) Wonder

ASTROLOGY

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sept 22) Mysticism Our investigating nature will seek to reveal mysteries concerning the place of both principles, masculine and feminine within the world of our unconsciousness.

Libra (Sept 23 - Oct 22) Doze We went through such intense times lately, it is difficult to even remember who we really are. Finally, a soothing pause arrives.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) Victory People start using our vocabulary. They even start planning things the way we want. Facing who we really are seems reachable and the tears it brings to us aren’t bitter anymore.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Control We are sharp and clear. If desires rise so high that it jeopardizes the on-going work, we quickly temper them.

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) Determination During this crucial time, it is absolutely necessary to let our personality shine, despite its imperfections, so we can see it, accept it and use it.

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) Learning We aren’t quite comfortable. We like progress but we feel like taking five steps back.

Pisces (Feb 19 - March 20) Compassion We know that all that happens is meant to amplify our love. Our tears are sweet.

We are going to a land where our light will dim low. It’s the best time to notice the light of others.

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Fernie Fun

FIX TRIVIA

ferniefix

FernieFixMag

FernieFix

FIND THE

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Can you spot the five differences between these two images?

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

Somewhere in this issue is a pumpkin. Can you find it?

SEPTEMBER FIX NAME THAT TRAIL ANSWERS 1. James White Trail 2. Montane 3. Kid’s Skills Park at the Aquatic Centre 4. Coal Creek Heritage Trail 1

2

3

T

4

Image: picswalls.com

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