Fernie Fix May 2022

MAY 2022 | ISSUE 185

THE

COMMUNITY ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE: Brad Parsell gives us a history lesson on an important community organization, Feature Artist Jackie Impey on her evolution as an abstract painter. Can a quilt be a metaphor for a community? Michael Hepher puts those pieces together for us.

Feature Resident Courtney Baker on her many roles in the community, and new columnist Ashley Lortscher teaches us the success of cold climate gardening.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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MAY 2022 | ISSUE 185

THE

COMMUNITY ISSUE

EDITOR’S FIX p7 BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY p9 Business News Fernie Chamber of Commerce Turns 120 Years Old by Brad Parsell

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT p16 Feature Artist - Jackie Impey ArtBeat – A Pattern Community

by Michael Hepher At Peace and Yet on Fire – Finding Each Other Connected by Sadie Rosgen Rental Fix – Tick,Tick Boom

by Andrew Vallance

COMMUNITY p26 Feature Resident – Courtney Baker Science and Everyday Life - The Science of Race and Racism by Fred Gietz At the Ground Level – The Feathered Community by Sylvia Ayers, illustrated by Sarah Pullen

COVER: Gotta love those runaway afternoons on the patios in town.

Photo by Matt Kuhn, @mkuhnphoto

EVENTS CALENDAR p25 HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE p33 Cold-Climate Gardening - Know Your Seed

by Ashley Lortscher Family Wellness – Finding Community Through Group-Based Care by Dr. Taina Turcasso This is Life – Connection Seeking

by Tyla Charbonneau

BITS AND BYTES p39 The Answer Guy – iPad Image Resizing

by Kevin McIsaac Astrology – May 2022 by Ashley Kristina Through the Lens – Community Issue Photo Gallery The Social Page

FERNIE FUN p46 The Last Page

THIS PAGE: Annual Raft Race on Fernie’s Elk River Photo by Vinco Mo, @findingvmo FERNIEFIX.COM

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BOOKED! FERNIE WRITERS’ SERIES

•

David Robertson

•

Local author Angie Abdou will lead a discussion with David Robertson, author of Black Water.

o

• • plan!

Scan here to apply today!

Friday May 27, 7 pm Hosted at the Fernie Heritage Library.

Tickets available on Eventbrite.

Scan QR for more details.

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

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

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

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

Every month SADIE ROSGEN teams up with some of Fernie’s brightest young writers collaborating on a given theme.

If you are reading this and think that you are that person, drop her a line at sadiepumps@gmail.com.

SARAH PULLEN is a grade 12 student at Fernie Secondary with a passion for all things creative.

She looks forward to pursuing some form of artistic studies post-secondary.

SYLVIA AYERS Sylvia is a tenacious naturalist and believes each one of us can have a big impact on making things better if we just know how.

ASHLEY LORTSCHER of Valley Vitals is a market gardener and local food advocate, here to share her knowledge on growing food in the Elk Valley.

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

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

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

FRED GIETZ is a selfprofessed science nerd and lover of all things outside.

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

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

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

Claris Media acknowledges that the land on which we work, gather and recreate is the traditional and unceded territory of the Ktunaxa people.We are very grateful for this place and the abundance it provides.

Editor’s Fix

By Krista Turcasso, Editor

“What keeps you in Fernie?”

This month’s Feature Resident’s answer echoed the 184 Fernie residents who were asked before her – community.

Just what is it about community that holds us to a place, that is so important to our very being?

Deepak Chopra said, “Giving connects two people, the giver and the receiver, and this connection gives birth to a new sense of belonging.”

Feeling a sense of belonging is essential to us as humans, and how better to foster this than through genuine acts of kindness, genuine acts of giving to those around us? Over the last 15 years, it has become so apparent to me how many people in Fernie give (and give and give). Their time, their energy, their expertise. And they give because it matters to them – this place, the people here, the community. They give because they want to make it better, to be a part of what truly makes it a special place to live and work and to raise a family.

Interestingly, one of the best aspects of giving is often not found in the actual offering, it’s in the ripple effect. People see the effort or are impacted by it. It lights up something inside of them. It inspires them to be a part or to create something of their own.

Living among givers, among volunteers, can only strengthen a community, and all that is on offer for those who live and visit.

Take time this month to recognize and appreciate the giving nature of many in Fernie, and consider ways, big or small, in which you can get involved and perhaps feel an even greater sense of belonging than you did before!

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Business in the Valley

BUSINESS NEWS

Submitted Photo

Submitted Photo

Submitted Photo

Andrea Grenier

Brandyn Fox, M.OMSc

Clear Sky Center

TD Mortgage Specialist 250-423-1478

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clearskycenter.org

Brandyn is an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner who completed her Master in Practice diploma of Osteopathic Manipulative Sciences (M.OMSc) from the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy.

As the world processes the past two years, more people are seeking meditation as a way to regroup and find a sense of calm. Due to this high demand, Clear Sky Meditation Center is building two additional cabins for Private Meditation Retreats.

Andrea Grenier is a specialist in home financing with over 10 years of experience. She takes great pride in providing professional financial advice and a comfortable customer experience. A resident of Fernie, Andrea serves all of the Kootenays, has a true understanding of our communities, and is available outside of normal banking hours to suit your schedule.

What differentiates Andrea from other home financing specialists is her belief in building relationships and establishing a solid rapport with her customers.

Andrea’s commitment is to serve you with professionalism and dedication while meeting your home financing needs.

Whether you are purchasing a new home, borrowing against your equity to renovate and create your dream home, transferring from another financial institution, or consolidating debt, Andrea can help you make an informed decision. andrea.grenier@td.com

After practicing as a Registered Massage Therapist for 10 years, Brandyn decided to further her education and skill set into the field of Osteopathy. Her principle-based training in Classical Osteopathy ensures each of her patients receives the treatment best suited for their individual needs.

Brandyn is located at Wild Heart Therapies and Farmacy. Please book your appointment online or email fernieosteopathy@gmail.com.

“It’s the busiest we’ve ever been,” says Ava MacLean, Clear Sky’s Community Manager. “Ever since COVID restrictions lifted, we’ve been providing solo retreats for everyone from healthcare workers to those who have made a significant life shift and are figuring out what to do next.”

With over 300-acres of walking trails, personalized meditation guidance, fullservice organic meals and your own private cabin, these retreats offer a unique way for healing.

“You can feel the difference when you step on the land here,” says MacLean.

“Clear Sky is a living-conscious community dedicated to providing a haven for healing and reconnection with nature and yourself.”

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10 Year Anniversary

music festival

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Business in the Valley

Submitted Photo

Dog Partners dogpartners.ca 604-868-5145 Valerie Barry has been working with dogs and their families for over 20 years. After vacationing in Fernie yearly for over 15 years, she, her husband and their dog made the vacation into a permanent move from North Vancouver.

Valerie is a multi-certified, professional dog trainer who specializes in puppies, young dogs and behaviour modification. She enjoys working with families helping them raise friendly puppies and finding solutions for behaviour challenges.

Dog Partners uses positive reinforcement, force-free training methods. Services include group classes for puppies as well as private training packages for all levels of behaviour modification. Check them out online at dogpartners.ca or book a free phone chat!

BUSINESS NEWS

Submitted Photo

Submitted Photo

Elk Valley Gymnastics Club

Elk Valley Suicide Task Force

elkvalleygymnastics.com

The 3rd annual Summer Solstice Ride for Mental Health will be this June! The event has evolved to be more inclusive to engage all members of the community to come out and enjoy being active in the outdoors, whatever that looks like to each person. This year it really will be about choosing your own adventure.

Elk Valley Gymnastics Club (EVGC) is pleased to announce its first ever home competition, the Rocky Mountain Tumble!

Gymnastics is a foundation sport that helps develop physical abilities such as balance, coordination, strength, spatial awareness and flexibility – all of which can be translated to other sports. The sport also helps develop character traits such as resiliency, bravery, discipline and perseverance.

EVGC invites all community members to come out and support our hard working, local athletes!

When: May 14-15 Where: Fernie Memorial Arena Saturday May 14 Session1: CCP 1/2 and MAG: 8am - 12:15pm Session 2: CCP 3, 4, 5, 6,7 and Highschool 2: 12:30 - 5pm Sunday, May 15 Session 3: Xcel Silver and Gold 8am - 12:30pm Session 4: Bronze and Performance 1- 5pm

Whether it’s biking all stages from sunrise to sunset, completing one stage, or hanging out at the EVSTF Mental Health hub creating opportunities for dialogue and community connections, there are several routes and ways to be involved.

There is something for everyone.

The goal of this event is to create conversation, talking openly about mental health and breaking the stigma while building awareness and relationships in the community. This year’s Summer Solstice event is Saturday June 18, find more details at evstf.ca or the Task Force’s FB and IG pages. #itsoktonotbeok

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Business in the Valley

BUSINESS NEWS

Submitted Image

Submitted Photo

Fernie Horticultural Supply

Fernie Pride Society

ferniehortsupply.ca

Did you know that on the second Tuesday of every month Fernie Pride hosts a group of parents/caregivers/family of 2SLGBTQ+ youth?

It can be a struggle getting plants that will survive in our challenging climate. However, finding a local supply of hardy perennials, shrubs and ornamental trees for landscaping is about to get easier with Fernie Horticultural Supply.

“All of the plants are available online,” says co-owner Felina Arsenault, “so landscapers and homeowners can see what they need, purchase it online and set up a time that is convenient for them to pick it up at the farm.”

The farm is where Arsenault’s partner, Andreas Schnell is getting the off-grid operation up and running. “I’m keen to operate a solar-powered worksite,” he says, “and this is the perfect opportunity to get Felina out of landscape design and maintenance and back to growing plants again.”

The pair will be opening the farm on Zwaryck Road this spring, 2022 with expected plant inventory already viewable on their website.

ferniepride.ca

Rayelin Asselin Photo

Jennifer Asselin Coaching and Consulting ferniewellnessco.com

Jennifer Asselin has joined the team at Fernie Wellness Collective to offer Born This Way meets at 561 4th Ave (Christ Emotional Intelligence Empowerment Church Anglican) at 7pm. Anie Hepher Coaching. Jennifer is a Certified Emotional will meet you there for a casual evening of Intelligence (EI) Coach who helps people community building.You are encouraged make progress in their lives in order to to drop in for as long as you like! Monthly attain greater fulfillment, improve their topics vary but there is no set agenda for relationships, careers, and day-to-day lives. the group as the conversation is really led A Certified EI Coach works with people by you – the amazing family of Elk Valley to shatter limiting beliefs, gain a deeper 2SLGBTQ+ youth! understanding of self, and transform relationships by exploring self-awareness, Born This Way is a safe, confidential space self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and for conversation and resource sharing. social skills.

This is not a professional counselling session. Want to learn more? Email info@ If you feel a desire for change, yet you are ferniepride.ca or join the Fernie Pride not sure what that specific change is, or Born This Way private Facebook group. maybe you have a “niggly” feeling that there is a different path meant for you yet aren’t sure where to start – Jennifer can help with all of that.

To find out more on how Jennifer can support you, or to book a session please visit ferniewellnessco.com, or call 778-519-5287.

Business in the Valley

BUSINESS NEWS

Submitted Image

SubmittedPhoto

Mantra Spirit Studio

Marni Bree Jewellery

591c 2nd Ave 250-423-2266

@marnibreejewellery

Mantra Spirit Studio invites you to join their first Yoga and Wellness Challenge this May and June! Passes are $75 for 31 days of unlimited yoga and are available throughout the month of May.

Marni Bree is a Fernie-based artist who creates minimalist fine jewellery for everyday wear and engagement.

The Challenge can start anytime between May 1 and the 31 and will go for 31 days from the day you buy your pass. Those who successfully meet the challenge of 21 days of yoga (within 31 days) will be entered into draws for prizes that include Mantra Studio passes, DoTerra Essential Oils and more.

A variety of yoga classes will be offered throughout the Wellness Challenge, including Power Flow,Vinyasa Flow,Yin, Restorative, Mellow Flow, Reiki Yoga Nidra, Meditation, Stretch and Core Strength, Kundalini Fusion and Ashtanga. mantraspiritstudio.com Visit us online for more info at mantraspiritstudio.com

Having spent the last two years primarily creating engagement rings and wedding bands, Marni has mostly been working with 14-karat yellow gold, sapphires and diamonds. Marni’s process includes hand fabrication of the raw metals, which involves moving and soldering parts together. More recently, she has started working with lost-wax casting as well.

Her goal is to create pieces that the wearer loves, are practical for the active lifestyles of Fernie locals, and will also stand the test of time.

Marni feels incredibly connected to the process of creating meaningful pieces.

You can get in touch via email at marnibreejewellery@gmail.com or view more of her creations on Instagram @marnibreejewellery.

Interior and Exterior Renovations Residential Concrete Property and Facility Maintenance

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250.430.7711 www.wellswood.ca FERNIEFIX.COM

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Business in the Valley

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Fernie Chamber of Commerce Turns 120 Years Old

by BRAD PARSELL We are so lucky to have such a vibrant mix of community groups serving all kinds of different needs here in Fernie. There is so much passion and dedication from these groups to making our way of life here more rich, more interesting, and more sustainable. One of the oldest community groups in the Elk Valley is the one I happen to work for – the Fernie Chamber of Commerce. Incorporated in 1902 as the Fernie Board of Trade, the Fernie Chamber of Commerce has grown to become the largest business association in the Elk Valley area and this year is celebrating 120 years since incorporation.

The Fernie Chamber’s history stretches further back than 1902 and can be traced to a “large and enthusiastic gathering of citizens at Wallace Hall” on the evening of Thursday, March 16, 1899. It was at this meeting that the Fernie Board of Trade was originally formed by a group of community-minded citizens. Thanks to the amazing work of the Fernie & District Historical Society last year, issues of the the Fernie Free Press newspaper have now been digitized all the way back to 1899 and are archived at the British Columbia Regional Digitized History website (bcrdh. ca). We now have easy online access to this repository of our community’s history and have much more of an understanding about the origins of our organization.

This meeting at Wallace Hall in early 1899 is extensively reported on in the March 18, 1899 edition of the Fernie Free Press. In the story it outlines how Mr. H. Bentley “spoke at considerable length” about the importance of a Board of Trade for Fernie, the purpose of the organization, and how the Lethbridge Board of Trade had made major accomplishments for that community. Bentley noted at the meeting that, “a Board of Trade in Fernie could

“Incorporated in 1902 as the Fernie Board of Trade, the Fernie Chamber of Commerce has grown to become the largest business association in the Elk Valley area and this year is celebrating 120 years since incorporation.” bring pressure on the British Columbia government to bridge Elk River and Coal Creek, and make good roads to the CPR mill, and other necessary improvements.”

That evening, the crowd voted to form the organization and elected Mr. Bentley as the first President of the Fernie Board of Trade.

The new organization would be officially incorporated under the federal Board of Trade Act in 1902.

In its first few years, the Fernie Board of Trade had its hands full, dealing with

Submitted Photo a lot of matters that would usually fall to a municipal government, including road maintenance and the construction of Fernie’s first firehall – but the young town did not yet have a council or local government. In a speech a few years after formation the President said that “the Fernie Board of Trade has for nearly four years carefully guarded the interests of the town and the district in general. Many questions relating to roads, transportation, mail service, etc. have been taken up during the year, and every opportunity of pressing for incorporation has been eagerly grasped. This body is at the time of writing petitioning for incorporation…” In 1904 the group’s advocacy paid off when the City of Fernie was officially incorporated by the province of British Columbia.

Over 120 years later, the Fernie Chamber of Commerce is still a champion for this community supporting the sustainable growth of our economy, and advocating for business and community interests at all levels of government.

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Arts and Entertainment

FEATURE ARTIST

Jackie Impey I am an abstract artist that paints intuitively, with the goal to elicit joy. My paintings are an internal expression of what is occurring around me. I’m inspired to paint when happy, so I often hear that my paintings are fresh, joyful and fun. It makes sense, because I like fun! I paint with music and am most happy when I can paint outside by the river or in my backyard with a view of the mountains.

Intuitive art is about connecting with your creative intuition and allowing it to guide you through the process of creating art.

The idea is to nurture your artist’s soul, experience creative freedom, experiment with different materials and of course to have fun. I love the process of being spontaneous and abandoning the need for a specific outcome.

My journey with art began at home.

As an artist, my mom infused art into my life in an organic way. She was a representational painter but loved to explore many art forms and mediums.

Together we would dig clay out of the earth, hand-build pots and figures and bake them in the campfire. We would do crafts and paint. I immersed myself in activities that were tactile and where I could get messy. Not taking naturally to my mom’s style of painting, I found my own way and discovered that representational art starts with an idea or feeling and then an attempt to create it, whereas the focus on intuitive art is to do the opposite.

My quest for creating authentic and interesting art was my impetus for seeking out mentorship. As an adult,

while living in Perth, Australia, I began learning a looser style under a wonderful South African artist. Influenced by her, I began painting using large canvas and bold colours, oversized still life and bicycle scenes infused with texture and splatters of delightful colour. From there my approach became more abstract as I gained confidence. A pivotal turning point was a workshop I attended in Texas with a talented Canadian abstract painter. Her approach and guidance allowed me the space to branch out and let go of the fear of change. I continue to attend a diverse range of workshops to inspire self-growth.

As my style and art process began, I started to meld styles and eradicated the need for prescribed outcomes. This means that not all paintings make the cut and are

often shelved for repurposing! I also have a short attention span, so if my love of a painting isn’t strong and sincere it goes in the do-over pile. I am a lover of colour and texture. Nature is inspiring, even though I am not replicating it in my art. I love to be immersed in colours outside and experience how they work together. I am also inspired by other artists, and am grateful to have landed in Fernie, which is not only aesthetically gorgeous, but also has an accomplished and diverse arts community. It has been wonderful to connect with so many beautiful and talented people.

While I paint in acrylics, I love to sling an array of different mediums on a canvas. I will start with texture that might be in the form of sand, tiny pebbles or a thick gloss gel. I like using pastels, chalk, charcoal,

acrylic inks and liquid acrylics. Other essentials in my studio are oversized brushes from the hardware store, kitchen tools like spatulas and chopsticks, and my fingers.

I enjoy art that makes people excited and entertained. An interesting painting on the wall invites conversation, the viewers will naturally want to explore the colour, flow, and design. I’m a fan of big art in small places and modern art in traditional spaces as I like to push the boundaries of traditional thought on art and how it is portrayed. I mostly approach art in a right-brain way, but I also think you don’t have to pick sides! The goal is evolution and forward momentum, and after years abroad I am happy to be back in Canada and look forward to many adventures in Fernie.

Jackie Impey’s art is currently on display as a guest artist at H2 Gallery, and at the Fernie Arts Coop. Join her June 10 for the opening night of her solo show, Bliss at the Fernie Arts Station, running through July 7, and discover more of her work at jackieimpeyartist.com or on Instagram @artist_jackie_impey FERNIEFIX.COM

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Arts and Entertainment

ARTBEAT

A Pattern Community

by MICHAEL HEPHER By the time the grass starts appearing in our back yard, I’m always more than ready for a dose of spring, so at the end of March I travelled to the Okanagan with some friends to do some biking. On the way there, as we crested the Anarchist Summit and descended into the Osoyoos valley, I was struck by the beauty of that desert landscape. Rugged hills give way to rolling vineyards and finally drop into the delightfully quirky faux-Spanish architecture of the town as it crowds the edges of the picturesque blue lake. It’s all so striking, with the notable exception of one new development that looks like someone dropped a sprawling Calgary suburb on the edge of the lake. Row after row of cookiecutter brown condos with a contrived homogeneity that, when contrasted with the organic rhythm of the valley, was shockingly ugly.

I grew up surrounded by piles of brightcoloured fabric and squares of stitchedtogether pinwheel patterns. My mom, a life-long quilter, has an astonishing skill for selecting fabrics, colours, and patterns that come together into beautiful quilts.

Without ever calling herself an artist, she employs the principles of pattern, repetition, and rhythm to create her lovely works. Those elements of design are nowhere more evident than on a successful quilt.

Repetition is one of the key ways artists can bring unity into our work. A dash of red over here ties in with the blob of red over there. A curved mountain echoes a curve in the stream below it. A row of trees creates a series of shapes across the canvas.

We look for these opportunities to build continuity into our creations, but we have to be careful because too much repetition is boring.

Quilt by Maureen Hepher

“A beautiful quilt is made up of all kinds of colours, prints, and shapes of fabric.

Our community echoes that diversity: new side, old side, cisgender, fluid, tall, short, gay, straight, left, centre, right, indigenous, immigrant, brunette, ginger, artsy or sporty – we are all important pieces of fabric in the emerging Fernie quilt. ”

Communities are like quilts – they need a balance of unity and variety to function properly. Finding like-minded people is good for unity, but how would we ever learn and grow if we weren’t confronted with ideas or ways of doing things that are unexpected or different from ours?

How bored would we be if everyone we met on the street was just like us? In our lives, as well as in our paintings, too much repetition is constrictive. A composition, as well as a community, need variety to thrive.

The irony is that this metered variety – which turns a town into a community – is the same thing that can tear it apart.

Differing opinions can become polarized

into sides. Left and right can become divided and entrenched. We become unwilling to set foot on common ground.

The rhythm of our composition is broken, and variety devolves into unhinged chaos.

For the quilter, it’s critical to balance the pattern and variety carefully to keep the viewer interested without overwhelming them with wild splashes and disconnected marks. So too with our community.

The people we choose formally or informally as leaders – or in quilting terms, the piece-makers of our valley – will be the ones guiding the decisions about what fabric goes where. Being a leader in a small town is an unenviable, complicated, but critically important task. The success of our patchwork depends on their wisdom. They preserve our diversity, keep our rhythm, and avoid too much repetition so we can work towards being healthier. It takes trust, understanding, patience, and self-reflection to acknowledge our own place in the quilt.

A beautiful quilt is made up of all kinds of colours, prints, and shapes of fabric. Our community echoes that diversity: new side, old side, cisgender, fluid, tall, short, gay, straight, left, centre, right, indigenous, immigrant, brunette, ginger, artsy or sporty – we are all important pieces of fabric in the emerging Fernie quilt. Without that diversity, Fernie would be a boring place to live. To thrive, we have a responsibility to continue to find common ground on which to build our vast patchwork into some kind of unified whole.

As people descend into our valley, my hope is that they find an organic, growing, healthy network of people who thrive on the rhythmic thrum of diversity and acceptance. It’s tempting to wish for homogeneity and comfort – but that doesn’t help us grow. We are all unique. We are all connected. We are more alike than not. We are here together, so let’s make something beautiful out of it.

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

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Arts and Entertainment

AT PEACE AND YET ON FIRE

Finding Each Other Connected

by Sadie Rosgen

Finding Each Other Connected

by Sadie Rosgen

When I think of acrostic poetry, I am reminded of the beginning of my education in poetry. My first lessons in poetry included these simple, yet poignant poems. Motivational poems you might see as a child, painted boldly on a gymnasium wall spelling out a coded word, or it’s the mnemonic device used to remember complicated formulas or a dense application. A young or inexperienced poet can relish in the ease and fun that this style nurtures. Go ahead! Create one of your very own by simply using your name or a theme that intrigues you!

Given our theme of community this month, heading back to the beginning with this acrostic style made sense.

As we witness the fall and rise of so many different communities all around the world, spanning both time and experience, what rises to the surface when we spell out COMMUNITY for ourselves? Who and what exists in our community and why is it essential for our survival?

Connected…

Our Mixed up Magic all together.

United, Necessary survival.

In sync, Trusting one another Yours and mine, eternal.

You belong at EKC Great Place to Work Great Place to Bank Great Place to Live!

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Hanging On for Warm Summer Days...

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Arts and Entertainment

THE RENTAL FIX

Tick, Tick Boom

by ANDREW VALLANCE So, here’s the thing…

The music in the film was composed by Larson and is mostly forgettable, suffering from a marked absence of colour, even in the upbeat musical numbers. It should be noted, however, that Garfield, to his credit, does all of his own singing in the film.

Jonathan Larson (1960 – 1996) was clearly a very talented man. He was the composer and lyricist behind Rent, one of the most important and divisive musicals in Broadway history. Before writing Rent, however, Larson had written a semiautobiographical musical based on his own life in New York as he struggled with the pressures of the entertainment industry, his personal relationships and the fear of turning 30 without realizing his dream of achieving fame on Broadway.

Given Larson’s importance in the Annals of American musical theatre, it makes sense that none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda, the man responsible for the smash hit musical Hamilton should choose to direct and produce a musical love letter to the man. Add this to the fact that Jonathan Larson died at the age of 35 without experiencing the success of Rent, the urge to commemorate him must have been incredible for Miranda.

Miranda gave the show its title: Tick, Tick, Boom. It is Miranda’s featurelength directorial debut. He adapted the musical from Larson’s off-Broadway semi-autobiographical show. It is set in the 1990s and deals with his struggles before the success of Rent and focuses on his relationships, trials and tribulations as well as his ever-present writer’s block.

Supported by his dancer girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp), and his pal Michael (Robin de Jesus), Larsen juggles his creative work with a job at a local diner.

The film features Andrew Garfield, one of my favourite actors, who has acted in some excellent films. He portrayed the characters of Eduardo in The Social Network

Sadly, the film does not honour Jonathan Larson’s memory. In fact, it would seem that Lin-Manuel Miranda has inadvertently denigrated his character somewhat.

Two thumbs down. However, if you still want to view it, it is currently streaming on Netflix.

(2010) and Tommy in Never Let Me Go (2010), two films that brought him to full international attention. He was later cast as the title character in the reboot of The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and its sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014).

He received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role as Desmond Doss in Hacksaw Ridge (2016).

Garfield certainly shines in the role of Jonathan Larson. He portrays the character with compassion and sympathy while still revealing some of the less desirable traits. Larson is presented as an arrogant, self-absorbed hyperactive jerk for most of the film, and in spite of Garfield’s superb performance I had difficulty sympathizing with Larson’s character. It’s very hard to root for a privileged, middle class, straight, white bohemian who, while struggling to get out of poverty, has clearly chosen his poverty-stricken lifestyle.

Unfortunately, I have my reservations about the show and found it quite disappointing.

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EVENTS CALENDAR

MONTHLY EVENTS

Make sure to stay up to date by visiting FernieFix.com/events. Send your events to krista@clarismedia.com for inclusion!

Sunday 1.5.2022 - 31.5.2022 31 Day Yoga and Wellness Challenge @ Mantra Spirit Studio. Passes are $75 for 31 days of unlimited yoga through May and June, and are available throughout the month of May. Thursday 5.5.2022 Red Dress Day @ Fernie Heritage Library Dan Mangan Live @ The Northern, 9pm Pub Team Trivia Special Cinco De Mayo Edition @ The Pub Friday 6.5.2022 Elk Valley Youth Pride Night @ Vogue Theatre Arcade, 5:30pm 88 Keys Presents: Here and After: A Vocal Recital @ Mountainside Community Church, 7:30pm Saturday 7.5.2022 Mother’s Day Craft Fair @ Fernie Community Centre, 10am-3pm Kootenay Cup @ Fernie Mountain Fitness Sunday 8.5.2022 Mother’s Day Eggs Benny Breakfast Special @ The Bistro, Parkplace Lodge Mother’s Day Roast Dinner Special @ The Pub Mother’s Day Macrame Workshop, Live Music and Twin Meadows Animal Rescue Fundraiser @ Bramasole

Monday 9.5.2022 Regular Council Meeting @ Fernie City Hall, 7pm Thursday 12.5.2022 Passion and Grit: Build Your Resilience Toolkit @ Fernie Chamber Eamon McGrath Live @ The Fernie Legion Friday 13.5.2022 Marketing for Small Business @ Fernie Chamber Live Music: Redgirl @ The Loaf Saturday 14.5.2022 Tentative Opening @ Fernie Golf Club Elk Valley Gymnastics: Rocky Mountain Tumble @ Fernie Memorial Arena Women’s Beginner Mountain Biking @ Mystic Mountain Adventure Executive Summit Series @ Fernie Chamber Yukon Blonde @ The Northern Sunday 15.5.2022 Elk Valley Gymnastics: Rocky Mountain Tumble @ Fernie Memorial Arena Monday 16.5.2022 Committee of the Whole Meeting @ Fernie City Hall, 4pm Thursday 19.5.2022 Passion and Grit: Build Your Resilience Toolkit @ Fernie Chamber

Friday 20.5.2022 Banner Project Submission Deadline @ The Arts Station Live Music: Stacey Chambers @ The Loaf Saturday 21.5.2022 17th Annual PDGA Disc Golf Tournament @ Lizard Range Disc Golf Course Live Music: Tyson Borsboom @ Kodiak Lounge, 9pm Tuesday 24.5.2022 Regular Council Meeting @ Fernie City Hall, 7pm Thursday 26.5.2022 Passion and Grit: Build Your Resilience Toolkit @ Fernie Chamber Friday 27.5.2022 Tea and Talk Book Club @ Fernie Heritage Library Booked! Fernie Writers’ Series with David Robertson @ Fernie Heritage Library Go By Bike Week Begins @ Fernie Live Music: Hark Raving Sirens @ The Loaf Saturday 28.5.2022 Women’s Beginner Mountain Biking @ Mystic Mountain Adventure

Pasta Tuesdays @ Bramasole Karaoke @ Kodiak Lounge, 9pm Wednesdays Club All Play – Fernie Pickeleball @ Max Turyk Courts, 8:30-10:30am Seniors Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, 11:15am Curbside Craft @ Fernie Heritage Library, Pickup is from 10am each Wednesday (ages 5-7) Toddlertime (Ages 0-2 years) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook After School Adventures @ Branch Out Learning, 3-6pm Fernie Youth Art Collective @ The Arts Station Inclusive Kids and Teen Mindfulness Yoga Classes @ Branch Out Learning Trivia @ Fernie Hotel Pub All Night Happy Hour @ Bramasole Thursdays Seniors Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, 11:15am Bellies to Babies @ Zoom, 2pm Club Baguette Junior French tutoring and activities 3pm @ Isabella Dickens library Club Baguette Adults learn and converse in French for adults 7pm @ Zoom Pub Team Trivia @ The Pub

After School Adventures @ Branch Out Learning, 3-6pm Open Mic Night @ Fernie Distillers, 7pm Fridays Club All Play – Fernie Pickeleball @ Max Turyk Courts, 8:30-10:30am Storytime (ages 0-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Fish and Chips @ The Pub Fish and Chips Take Away @ Fernie Hotel, 4pm Meat Draw @ The Fernie Club Cre8 @ The Arts Station After School Adventures @ Branch Out Learning, 3-6pm Open Mic Night @ Fernie Distillers, 7pm Equine Assisted Learning Life @ Fernie Therapeutic Horse and Pony Club through Branch Out Learning Big Red Fridays @ Bramasole Saturdays Meat Draw @ The Legion Supernatural Saturdays @ The Central Sundays Roast Dinner Special (includes Beer Pint or Glass of Wine) for $20 @ The Pub

WEEKLY EVENTS Mondays Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page Les Tiguidous French activities for toddlers (05yo) 10:30am @ the Cokato Park playground Club All Play – Fernie Pickeleball @ Max Turyk Courts, 8:30-10:30am Le Club Baguette Junior @ Rotary Park, outdoor activities and games in French ages 7-12, 3:30pm After School Adventures @ Branch Out Learning Jam Night @ Kodiak Lounge, 9pm Poutine, PBR & Pool Tournament @ The Pub Tuesdays Storytime (ages 3-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Seniors Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, 11:15am After School Adventures @ Branch Out Learning, 3-6pm Fernie Options for Sexual Health Clinic Open @ Elk Valley Hospital, 6:30-8:30pm by appointment Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page Burger and Beer Night @ The Northern Wing Night @ The Pub Inventors Club @ Fernie Heritage Library, ages 8-10

FERNIEFIX.COM

25

Community

FEATURE RESIDENT

Courtney Baker

by KRISTA TURCASSO Have you ever heard someone say, “if you want something done, ask the busiest person you know?” I have, and one of my people is Courtney Baker.

I was once sitting in the Chamber board room with a group of people, trying to figure out how to get more people downtown during the summer months (yes, this used to be a struggle!). The focus was on shutting down main street to traffic to develop Sunday Socials, which would encourage pedestrian traffic. While this was great, I mentioned being interested in a mid-week evening concert series… and let me tell you, Courtney was the first person to get behind it. Quickly, we developed a team (with Vanessa from the Fix and Dawn from the Mountain Market) and the Wednesday Socials were born.

Through the experience of running these socials, I learned something new about Courtney, whom I have known most of my life. She is dedicated to our community.

Courtney was actually born in Seattle, moving to Spokane before settling in Fernie in 1985. “My mom met a Fernie local and we moved here,” she shares with me. “I went to school for a whole week in Jaffray before attending Ridgemont Elementary School.” The conversation takes a little detour, chatting about what it was like back then. “It was super easy to grow up here,” she says, and I agree. “It really was the childhood of when the street lights came on you had to get home, and our parents never knew where we were.”

Memories of the sprint home to avoid persecution make us laugh.

Then, we discuss how we both moved back to Fernie as it was not anticipated.

Vince Mo Photo “I never thought I would end up back here, not that I gave it much thought,” she says. After graduating from high school, Courtney travelled and then attended the University of Victoria. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I took Sociology and Political Science with a minor in English Literature and came back here for a ‘stop over.’ I started working and doing random jobs and when the assistant job at the Arts Station came up, I started there.” And she never left.

This was Courtney’s first administrative community work, and it was something she really enjoyed. After a few years the current

Executive Director retired, and Courtney applied for and was awarded the position.

She continued there, until 2016 when she took a position with the Fernie Senior Citizens Society as their Administrator.

As this is not full time… (and Courtney gets things done) she also worked with Wildsight for a few years and works with the Fernie Pride Society.

In addition to these positions and her involvement in the Wednesday Socials, Courtney has volunteered with many events and organizations including the Fernie Pets Society, the Role and Sole Festival, The Dumpster Project, Stag Leap

Running Co., Fernie Live Music Society, as well as a committee member with the RMI Advisory Group and the Eirin Amundsen Memorial Pavillion.

Through all of her work with non-profit and community organizations, Courtney saw that many were in need of advisement, as well as grant writing, and decided to start her own consulting company, SWELL nonprofit support. Through SWELL, Courtney has been able to help people set up non-profits, source grant opportunities, write grants and also to help them to understand process, procedures and responsibilities as NPs. What Courtney enjoys most about this work is the ability to contribute to the community in an ongoing way. “I’m doing a lot of different things and working across vaster swatches of the community vs. one aspect. It helps you to feel like you are making a difference,” she tells me.

“So much in Fernie is community-group led, and I’m a sucker for offering advice as am just happy to see things happening.”

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

7. Where do you see or hope to see the Elk Valley in five years.

October 1985, and my mother married a local.

Crystal Cerny in Mrs. Corrigan’s grade 1 class.

Really embracing inclusion, appreciating the level of community support we do have and what gets contributed, and actively tackling issues like housing.

Building up and not out! A three-story building is not the end of the world.

3. Do you remember your first general impression of the Elk Valley?

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

It was quiet.

At this point in time, with wordle, then quordle and heardle.

2. Who did you first meet?

4. What keeps you here?

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

Community.

5. Do you have a favourite pastime?

Community! And probably reading, I read a lot.

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

Probably winter. It changes. Now that Henry is old enough to be fun to ski with, it makes a difference.

Courtney recognizes that these organizations are the drivers of community.

“It’s a pleasure to be a part of that driver.

In a town like Fernie, so much of what we enjoy is put forth by community groups and primarily volunteer efforts,” and we agree it’s important for us all to understand and appreciate these efforts.

I have a vast and very highly useful knowledge of pop culture. I would be excellent on any sort of trivia team.

10. Quote to live by: Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn’t mean we deserve to conquer the Universe. ~ Kurt Vonnegut

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So, how does Courtney recommend you get involved?

“Just reach out! Approach someone outside of your comfort zone and your community groups, and you could bring new ideas and skills and could really help out more than you know.Volunteer burnout is a real thing. Even if you can donate an hour a month, it’s a massive amount of help.”

Thank you, Courtney.Your efforts are appreciated, and apologies if you get asked for even more support now that the community knows to ask the busy people!

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Community

AT THE GROUND LEVEL

The Feathered Community

by SYLVIA AYERS, illustrated by SARAH PULLEN

Did you know?

Stickers on your windows will warn us not to fly into them.

Birds are a bustling community. We know we are an important part of the ecosystem and having lots of birds tells you our environment is healthy. But since 1970, North America has lost 3 billion birds! That means more than 1 in 4 birds have disappeared.

More than 90% of them are the most common friends at your feeder: sparrows, finches, blackbirds, juncos and warblers.

Indoor cats live longer, healthier lives.

You might think they can’t live without prowling around, but they really can. If you have to let them out, don’t do so at dawn or twilight when we are busiest looking for food for our babies.

Colourful collars will warn us if your cat is around!

Why is this happening?

• We are losing habitat in a very big way – especially wetlands and forests.

• Cats kill billions of us every year (Yes, billions!).

• We crash into windows • Pesticides that you spray on your lawn will kill us.

Get to know our community! Watch us! Get a birdfeeder!

Listen to our songs! There are lots of great apps like iBird, Merlin, and Nestwatch to make it easy and fun.

Please don’t spray pesticides on your lawn – how about planting more pollinating plants for our bee friends too?

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29

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

Community Working Together ‘Mutual aid’ is cooperation for the sake of the common good. Mutual aid is an idea that recognizes neighbours inherently need each other, and that we can work together to make life better. What can you offer the community? What do you need from your community?

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Community

SCIENCE AND EVERYDAY LIFE

The Science of Race and Racism

by FRED GIETZ Warning: if you have problems with the theory of evolution you may find this article disturbing.

I’m sure we all agree, the last two years have been “interesting.” Social interactions, jobs and how and where we work, travel (or the lack thereof) and of course politics in general have all been anything but boring. As a bit of a science nerd, I’ve been fascinated by the range of “expert” opinions on vaccines, finances, climate change, energy production/consumption and a whole host of other topics. Given how the experts present their opinions with facts, figures and statistics, it’s of little wonder why so many people feel confused with all the information given.

One topic in particular has caught my attention of late – that of race discrimination and critical race theory.

Historically humankind has not treated each other very nicely; however, watching the evening news will leave little doubt that our modern society has not learned the lessons from the past and continues to treat many groups unequally – all too often under the accusation of “racism.” My question, is there a scientific basis for racist theories?

The creation and spreading of myths surrounding so-called “human races” – often used as evidence of the superiority or inferiority of individuals, groups, or nations – has occurred throughout human history. Biased researchers and bad science methodology have shaped those myths for centuries, and in more recent years Hollywood and social media have also had a hand. It is fascinating to read some old scientific studies that claimed that you could classify humans and their potential by measuring the size of their forehead or by categorizing people by the shape of their noses!

commons.wikimedia.org

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we could use science in such a way to treat each other better and more fairly and find commonalities between us all rather than differences?”

Although most people continue to think of races as physically distinct populations, scientific advances in the 20th century demonstrated that human physical variations do not fit a “racial” model.

Instead, human physical variations tend to overlap. There are no genes that can identify distinct groups that accord with the conventional race categories. In fact, DNA analyses have proved that all humans have much more in common, genetically, than they have differences.

The genetic difference between any two humans is less than one percent.

So, if all humans essentially have the same DNA, why the differences in skin colour (and sadly one of the most common ways of making racial distinctions)? Well, if poor science can be blamed for promoting racial discrimination, perhaps good science can help explain why skin colour can be different within the human race.

The reason for skin colour is based in human biology.Vitamin D is produced in people’s skin, using UV light that shines from the sun. More UV means more vitamin D, and too much can be a bad

thing too as evidenced by having a bad sunburn. One way to protect against too much UV light is having hair, and our early ancestors were fairly hairy beasts, more similar in looks to our chimpanzee cousins than our modern-day humans (fun fact: Humans and chimps share a surprising 98.8 percent of their DNA).

Unfortunately having a thick layer of hair would interfere with our ancestor’s best tactic for survival - running. Imagine trying to outrun a predator while wearing a fur coat! As a result, as we slowly evolved away from our early cousins, we also slowly lost that layer of protection, which had to be replaced with a different way of protecting against UV light – and that was skin colour. UV light varies depending on where you are on the planet, and so will a person’s skin colour. As a result, we find that people had lighter skin colour the further away from the equator they were or at what elevation they lived (humans that evolved in high mountainous areas like the Andes or Himalayas had less atmosphere to filter UV light and thus also have darker skin to help protect themselves).

Good science and technology can contribute to a longer and healthier life, monitors our health, provides medicine to cure our diseases, alleviates aches and pains, helps us to provide water for our basic needs – including our food, provides energy and makes life more fun, including sports, music, entertainment etc. Unfortunately, we can also find many examples of how poor science and poor science understanding can have a negative impact within society and our communities. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could use science in such a way to treat each other better and more fairly and find commonalities between us all rather than differences?

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Health and Lifestyle

COLD-CLIMATE GARDENING

Know Your Seed

by ASHLEY LORTSCHER Why hello Fernie! Aren’t you looking gorgeous? Everything is budding and ready to sprout for this year’s garden season. I am often asked to share my knowledge on growing food in the Elk Valley, so I thought I would create a crash course on cold-climate gardening. Each month I’ll be providing tips on how to improve your cold climate food production.

super nutrient dense. Potatoes can improve soil quality and are easy to store calories.

Kale and chard are cold hardy and can be harvested all season long. That being said, I always find some corner of my garden to try and grow a watermelon because I think it’s fun! If your space and time are limited, look for hardy and quick to grow crops that are nutrient dense!

Growing food in cold climates can be frustrating! You can put so much time and resources into growing your seedlings, just to watch them stagnate or wither.

Becoming familiar with different seed varieties and where they come from can greatly reduce the work required, improve yield, and contribute to your local food security.

Every Seed Has a Story

Seeds for Success, Local is Best Local seed sources are already adapted for our short growing season and variable weather. Wildsight offers a number of different seed varieties grown locally.

Heirloom and Landrace Varieties I could nerd out for several pages but let me keep it brief: Heirloom varieties are well-loved cultivars with a long heritage of hand-selection by gardeners. Landrace seeds are varieties that have developed by natural selection and have been collected for use by gardeners and homesteaders.

If you are able to source local heirloom or landrace seeds, you are likely to save yourself a lot of work as their genetics are aligned to thrive without a lot of added care and resources. Saving these seeds helps to increase biodiversity and preserve genetics. Open-pollinated seed varieties are much easier to save for next season (but more on seed saving later!).

Submitted Photo

“Growing food in cold climates can be frustrating!”

Learn from Your Neighbour If you can’t find seeds grown locally, ask around for what varieties and companies to purchase from! Does your neighbour have lovely early tomatoes every year? Is your local farmer’s spinach slow to bolt? Find out which varieties (or cultivars) grow best in the Valley. Our local greenhouses, gardeners, and homesteaders are happy to share their knowledge (the Elk Valley Homesteading group on Facebook is a great resource!).

Quick Calories I grow food to feed my family nutrient dense calories. I try to grow 70% of all my family’s calories for the year. Given the number of frost-free days in the Valley, I focus on crops that require low effort, have high calories, and have a wide variety of nutrients. Parsley is easy to grow and

There are so many wonderful small seed companies in BC! Supporting local and small seed companies helps preserve genetic diversity and improve seed lines for local food production. Shop around and ask around!

Y A M A G O Y A FERNIEFIX.COM

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Health and Lifestyle

FAMILY WELLNESS

Finding Community Through Group-Based Care

by DR TAINA TURCASSO, ND RM

When I was a new midwife, and prior to starting my own practice, I worked at quite a large midwifery practice and was introduced to a bit of an alternative approach to prenatal care that involved group prenatal appointments. The specific program that we used was called “The Centering Pregnancy Program” and though it encouraged partner participation at the end and beginning of pregnancy and allowed for individualized assessment during each session, it focused on groupbased sessions for the pregnant person for the bulk of the pregnancy. Our team of four midwives piloted the project for our practice and each group contained clients who were all due the same month, which would be anywhere from 10-14 clients.

Initially it was a bit of a struggle because on a midwifery team, call/clinic schedules are very complicated at the best of times and shifting it to allow for two midwives to be present at every session and to have the sessions in the middle of a clinic day was quite challenging. Cue my fear of public speaking (and speaking to a group of 1014 people who I may not know that well feels like public speaking) and it was not something I looked forward to.

To my surprise, our sessions quickly became some of my favourite times in clinic. Not only did they give me the opportunity to get to know our clients better (when you have 14 clients a month and there are four of you, it is very difficult to get to know everyone), but also it was amazing to see the way everyone opened up and talked more freely about whatever concerns they had. In addition to the time spent with us acting as facilitators, they had the opportunity to get to know one another without our involvement while

care 10 years ago and she has told me that her group still keeps in touch, even now.

The benefits of this program, of course, extend into the postpartum period when you could have a group “drop-in” for anyone from two weeks through to six weeks or even longer. This would allow for efficient assessments, feeding assistance, and socialization, which can be so lacking during the initial postpartum period.

Stock Illustration

“We need the community aspect of group care now more than ever, after we have been so isolated for over two years.” we did our short individual assessments.

Interestingly, there is a lot of research that supports programs like Centering Pregnancy. These programs have positive impacts on pregnancy outcomes, and surprisingly, the level of satisfaction reported by both clients and providers.

Evaluative data demonstrates that 96% of the clients preferred receiving their prenatal care in groups and beyond that, in our specific groups, many of them kept in touch and continued to see each other on a regular basis even once their time in midwifery care was over. I have a good friend who participated in group prenatal

What’s recently occurred to me is that treatment and therapy tailored to groups would benefit many different patient/client populations beyond pre- and postnatal care. The value of being in a safe group setting with others who are going through the same or even similar life events or stressors as you are cannot be overstated.

Sharing experiences while going through treatment for infertility, pregnancy loss, or addiction, for example, creates a sense of community, making you feel less alone.

Especially when used in conjunction with individualized treatment or therapy, group sessions enable participants to engage in conversations and ask questions that allow for a broader coverage of topics and ideas than what occurs in a one-on-one session.

This work can and should be built upon in one-on-one sessions, but what occurs in a group setting can help individuals make meaningful connections that may carry over into other aspects of their life.

While interacting in person is optimal when it comes to group sessions, groups can be attended virtually, which increases accessibility for those who may not be able to attend in person for a variety of reasons.

There may be some initial hesitation when it comes to sharing in a group setting, but it is often helpful to start by listening.

Eventually you will be comfortable being more vulnerable and participating more.

One important key is being aware of the background of whoever is facilitating the group. Ideally it would be someone that you already have a relationship with or who has been providing some type of care for you.

Life holds many challenges for all of us, challenges that often require us to seek out treatment. Or, perhaps we are engaged in routine treatment for a specific time of life, like prenatal or postnatal care. In many of these scenarios, we would benefit from group-based care being a part of our treatment plan. We need the community aspect of group care now more than ever, after we have been so isolated for over two years. If you live somewhere small like we do, you might have to create an opportunity yourself or find a virtual group that would suit your needs. Speak with your provider to see if a group approach would work for what is happening in your life.

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Health and Lifestyle

THIS IS LIFE

Connection Seeking

by TYLA CHARBONNEAU We can all bring to mind a person in our current or past lives that we might label as needy. The person who can drain our energy, demand a lot from us, and seems to draw attention to themselves in often unhealthy ways. This is the person we think of when we hear the words attention seeking. One of the greatest lessons I learned, from one of my favourite people, was to reframe this concept of attention seeking to connection seeking. What is the difference? Empathy, compassion, and an understanding of what that person might be going through. Some humans grow up in circumstances that do not teach them how to ask for what they need in healthy ways. This shows up in behaviour that can be challenging to manage but if we choose to see the person as needing to find connection versus attention, we can provide them a safe space. It can often feel counterproductive as many of us were taught not cater to negative behaviour. In reality that person needs love and support and not neglect. When we ignore the behaviour instead of taking a curious stance and providing connection, the person in need may become isolated without meaningful relationships. In the most difficult situations, they may choose to end their lives.

Everyone in this community is worthy of love, everyone. Some of us just know how to ask for it in better ways than others. Sadly, if we are not taught healthy interpersonal relationship skills, we can act out in ways that actually take us farther away from the connection we so crave and desire. The following are some tools you can use with the people who you notice are seeking connection in your life.

that the three most important words in any relationship should be, “that makes sense.” These three simple words allow someone to be seen and understood. Once someone feels safe, they will be more open to hearing suggestions for growth, change, and even constructive feedback.

V. Croome Photo

“As much as it is important to foster connection, we also need to let people know what behaviours are okay and not okay for us and when we have the capacity to help.”

Connect before you correct. This means that before you offer support or a correction you must connect.You can do this via listening, giving a hug, or simply just sitting with someone while they are in pain.You do not have to fix it, agree with it, or even fully understand it.You can simply sit with someone while they are in pain. The Gottman Institute suggested

When someone wants to connect with you and share a story you can ask, “Would you like me to offer solutions or just listen and support?” This one actually works both ways, one of the best ways we can get what we need when engaging in conversation with others is to state it ahead of time. For example, “I am having a really tough day and it would be helpful if you could just listen for a bit and I will let you know if I need help in problem solving.” This way both parties are primed and ready to know exactly what to do in the scenario, thus lessoning the potential for conversations where needs are misunderstood or not met. Sometimes, the people in our lives may not have the capacity to do this so we can help by asking ahead of time, or gently interrupting the narrative to ask.

It is important to note that healthy boundaries are important. All individuals are worthy of connection, and we must protect ourselves as well. As much as it is important to foster connection, we also need to let people know what behaviours are okay and not okay for us and when we have the capacity to help.

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

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Building for sale 482 2nd Ave, Fernie Listed at $1,799,000 Main floor commercial space 2 residential apartments

Lauren Gervais PREC* REALTOR® C: 250.946.6758

lauren@c21fernie.ca

PO Box 989 362B 2nd Avenue, Fernie, BC VOB 1M0 250.423.2121

Bits and Bytes

THE ANSWER GUY

iPad Image Resizing

by KEVIN MCISAAC I really like my iPad. I’ve used one in place of a laptop for years now. I rarely have reason to miss having a full laptop, but there is one area where I do: image work.

Recently I had to do a bunch of work on the Wapiti website and I was away travelling. This was a problem. I wanted to add the bands for the lineup but that entailed getting images from their press kits, resizing / cropping them, and uploading them to the website.

Once the image is on the website the web framework takes care of delivering the images in the correct size for different devices, but I still don’t want to upload 4 -10 MB images as they take a lot of processing time and space on the server. So, I want to downsize them and that’s when I ran into the one problem I have on the iPad – there’s no built-in way to resize an image.

There is a way, which I’ll explain in a moment, but perhaps you’re wondering why I’m dedicating an entire column to such a niche problem. For two reasons: more and more people are using their iPad while travelling to edit, store, and send their photos, and because the solution is just one use of shortcuts. Learning how they work will open a lot of iPad doors for you.

Here’s how I created a shortcut that would let me select the images I wanted, let me resize them all to a specific size or percentage of original, and save the edited photos back to the library from which I could then upload to the website.

Stock Photo • Open the Shortcuts app.

• Press + to start a new shortcut • Give it a name like Resize Photos • Under Media find Get Images from Input • Click on it to add to the shortcut • Click on Input on the added item • Click on Continue • Click on Ask For • It should change to if there’s no input Ask for Photos • Go back to the right side of the shortcut editing screen and click on Media.

• Scroll down and click on Resize Image • Resize Images to Size will get added to script • Click on Size then Click on Ask Each Time

• Go back to right side of shortcut editing screen and click on Media • Scroll down and click on Save to Photo Album • Click Done Now whenever you have images to resize you can go into shortcuts, click on the new Resize Photos shortcut, and it’ll open up and ask you to select photos from your photo library, ask what you want to resize them to, then save the new photos to the photo library.

There are many other options in shortcuts including, flipping, cropping, rotating, combining images, converting images, etc.

I’ll leave you to explore those on your own, but it’s likely that you can avoid downloading third party apps for all but the most complex photo edits and just do them with shortcuts.

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Bits and Bytes

ASTROLOGY

May 2022

by ASHLEY KRISTINA Sun conjunct Uranus travelling through Taurus, close in the sky with the north node of the moon (Rahu), Pluto is travelling retrograde in last degrees of Capricorn and therefore revisiting themes of the last several months/last few years.

Pluto rules deep transformation and regeneration and Capricorn, the energy ruled by Saturn, rules traditions, restrictions, responsibilities.

The full moon and lunar eclipse create a lot of energy as the Sun sits at 25º Taurus, conjunct Eros, the north node (Rahu) and retrograde Mercury. The moon will strongly affect many aspects of people and society.

It’s a very strong full moon and Venus is also tightly conjunct Chiron (in Aries) at this

time so I suspect love, and all that we love, can feel painful as major levels of trauma and karma are clearing and cleansing. 25º Scorpio symbolized an X-ray photograph that aides with diagnosis. In other words, all that is hidden is exposed. This is also a lunar eclipse so expect this energy to unfold over the next six months.

The month ends with a new moon in Gemini, which is symbolically aligned with Sagittarius: Spiritual truth – the archer with the bow and arrow being the symbol of the 9th degree of Gemini. Jupiter is also tightly conjunct Mars in the 3rd and 4th degree of Aries, respectively. It’s a powerful time for the truthful lovers of the world to align.

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Aries Venus and Mars travel through Aries this month, alongside Chiron. The pain body (Chiron) is palpable and this is occurring for everyone at this time. Jupiter enters Aries at the end of the month, where it will travel through all year. This brings abundance and lots of good luck to Aries dominants (Sun, Rising) and the part of the individual chart governed by Aries.

Taurus Happy birthday! A new beginning and chapter in your life. What are your intentions for this upcoming year? It’s a time to shed and grow all that is not of your highest accord. Jupiter and Neptune

conjunct in Pisces activates manifestation powers.

Gemini Happy birthday to the early decan Geminis. Lots of Aries fire is fueling change and growth this Spring however it may also feel like growing pains. Keep trusting.

Cancer The eclipses of April and May trine your energy bringing positive change into your life. It’s a time of clarity, plans, agreements, and major purchases – truly a pivotal time in your life. It’s also important to be patient and let what is meant for you come to you.

Leo Contracts are important to be written, revised, renewed – for reasons! Don’t have too many expectations at this time as you might not have all the information you need. Astrology folklore says it’s never a good time to sign a major contact during Mercury retrograde anyway.

Virgo Mercury is one of your ruling planets, and its retrograde in Gemini means inward thought processes of dual nature for you – meaning you feel/think this way, then the next minute you feel/think the other way.

Sagittarius It’s a fresh start for you with abundance and success. It’s important to have fun this month and keep up the cleansing energy.

Capricorn Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio, retrogrades through your sign giving your own energy a level of intensity. This can particularly be sensed at home and with communications.

Be wary that mercury is retrograde so miscommunication can occur this month.

Aquarius

For a lasting impression...

It’s a social month with abundance! An inspiring month and a great time to both learn and share information. A time for writing, poetry, song, and abundance with language.

Since we launched Fernie Copperworks Inc. 2 years ago the Fernie Fix has proven to be instrumental in our booming success, with over 80% of our projects initiating from our ad in the Fernie Fix. ~ Tim Popowich, Fernie Copperworks

Pisces It’s a month to ground yourself and your truth. This includes your finances and also what’s truly in your heart. This includes your self-esteem.

WINNER ’Best New Business 2018’

To advertise contact: krista@clarismedia.com | 250-423-0897

- Fernie Business Excellence Awards

Libra This month requires patience, persistence and flexibility. Mercury retrograde in Gemini brings major levels of miscommunication so make sure you communicate as clearly as possible. Pluto retrograde in Capricorn also brings a level of intense pressure.

Scorpio A major month of change for you as the full moon/lunar eclipse is in your sign, while the north node and south node of the moon sit on the Taurus-Scorpio axis.

This is a year and a half of major change for Scorpio and Taurus-dominant charts.

CUSTOM COPPERWORKS DECOR ZINC, Custom Sheet Metal AND FLASHINGS CUSTOM Tables and tableTops Available

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tim@ferniecopperworks.ca • www.ferniecopperworks.ca • 250-423-0292 FERNIEFIX.COM

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SUNGLASS EVENT Win back your money!

Purchase any pair of sunglasses in May and you will be entered into a draw to win back the full value!

5

One winner in Fernie and Blairmore (Elkford purchases will be entered into the Fernie draw)

7 6 9 10 50 3 8 7 7 2 4 1 6 18

“A safe place to truly belong is vital to every child.

Providing that as families heal and hopefully reunite is the most rewarding part of being a foster caregiver to a child who needs it.”

MEGHAN, FOSTER CAREGIVER

(psst…we will also be running the event in June!)

FERNIE 250-423-4467 • BLAIRMORE 403-562-7144 • ELKFORD 250-865-2022

9 5 624382

If becoming a foster caregiver has been on your mind, please reach out to Halina Wloka at 250-423-9718.

3

GPI Chartered Professional Accountants in Fernie offers a full range of accounting and taxation services for the communities of Fernie, Elkford, Sparwood, throughout the Elk Valley and beyond for a wide variety of business and personal customers.

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

Bits and Bytes

THROUGH THE LENS

Community, Through Your Lens Judy McMahon Photo The Cardboard Boat Race on Maiden Lake Onlookers cheer as crews race across the lake in their homemade watercraft with much paddle power, hope and duct tape.

So much laughter, adrenaline, team spirit and pure fun. All the right stuff for a connected community like Fernie.

Vince Mo Photo FTA Volunteer Crew on Al Matador It’d be tough to imagine Fernie without its miles of interlinking trails leading from town up to the surrounding mountain summits. At face value, a trail essentially connects a start to a finish. To me they also facilitate connecting us to our environment, and most importantly they connect the vast community of trail users with each other.

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Strengthening the places

welove

Proudly supporting people and communities in the Columbia Basin

Restoring an Historic Building — Fernie Museum

Feeding Fernie — The Salvation Army Fernie

A Trail for Everyone — Contra-Trail

ourtrust.org/basinstories

Welcome Home — North End Court Affordable Housing

Columbia Basin Trust operates in the unceded traditional territories of the Ktunaxa, Lheidli T’enneh, Secwepemc Sinixt and Syilx nations.

Bits and Bytes

S OCIA L PAGE

Out in the Community: What do you think makes our community in the Elk Valley so special?

Shea Ferguson I think the Elk Valley is so special because it is so inclusive! Many of us are not born and raised here yet feel welcomed everywhere!

Jeff Johnson I believe the Elk Valley community is so special because of how incredibly accepting the people are who choose to live here. We have miners who are accepting of hippy skiers.

Environmentalists who are accepting of miners. We accept that Curry Bowl might not open today, or that it could rain tomorrow. We accept that the highway will be jammed Friday afternoon and so will the grocery stores.

And I think acceptance comes from people who honestly care about other people and want to do right by them.

Dar Bell I believe the Elk Valley community is special because we have maintained the small town feel despite growth and development. We live in one of the most beautiful areas in the world with the mountains in our backyard for a playground, no travel required.

How fortunate is that? Fernie has been a wonderful place to raise our girls and hopefully we can share it with our grandson and future grandchildren as well.

FYI This Mother’s Day, there will be a lot of opportunity to treat your mom (or yourself) within the community, including at the Mother’s Day Craft Fair which runs from 10am to 3pm, May 7 at the Fernie Community Centre.

Enjoy supporting the 100% handmade items by local artisans and crafters.

Did you know that public are able to attend the Regional District of the East Kootenay meetings and that the zoom links are available online at rdek.bc.ca/ meetings_events/agendas? This started during COVID and is a great way to stay involved and understand process.

For example, this May 13 there is a Public Hearing regarding the Galloway Land adjacent to the Mount Fernie Provincial Park. This should be of interest to all Fernie residents, considering the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Strategy submitted a letter stating this property is of interest to BC Parks.

Fore! The Fernie Golf Club opened its driving range on April 14 and has an expected opening to the full course mid-May! Remember to get your membership, with Adult, Senior, Intermediate, Student, Junior, Weekday, After 3 O’Clock, Corporate and Honorary categories available, ranging from $44 to $1366. Also, FGC offers Twilight Rates for $30 as well Fernie Golf Club photo as other specials, great for those who don’t play regularly, are getting into the sport or aren’t sure of their summer schedule! Golffernie.com Summer is on the way, and with it lots of options for kids to explore while they’re off school. Annually, in the Fernie Fix – Summer Guide we include the Kids’ Guide to Summer, which lists the many camps and activities available for all interests, ages and levels. Pick one up in town, or head to ferniefix.com for the online version.

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Fernie Fun

THE LAST PAGE

Spot the Difference

FIND THE

Can you find five differences between these two pictures?

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

Somewhere in this issue is a little crocus.

Can you find it?

Name These Businesses or Locations

Answers Last Month

These businesses or locations are located in Fernie, can you name them?

Community Bulletin Board, Barkside Pets, Electric Charging Station outside Seniors’ Centre, Bike Hub at Aquatic Centre

Be Prepared.

Start Here.

Our first aid and safety courses are being taught in-classroom with strict safety precautions in place.

FIRST AID AND SAFETY z Workplace Accident Investigation | May 6

z Occupational First Aid Level 1 | May 16

z Wilderness Advanced First Aid | May 9

z St John Standard for Industry | May 18

z Wilderness First Responder | May 9

z Transportation Endorsement | May 20

z Hoisting and Rigging Safety | May 12

z Occupational First Aid Level 3 | May 24

z Forklift Certification | May 13

z Red Cross Stay Safe | May 29

z Red Cross Babysitting Course | May 14

z Red Cross Emergency Child Care | June 5

z WFR Recert (WAFA Bridge) | May 14

BUSINESS, LIFESTYLE AND LEISURE z Typical and Alternative Gardening | May 7

z Residential Tenancy | May 16

z Fast Track Outdoor Photography | May 8

z Cultural Painting | May 26

z Wills, Powers of Attorney | May 9

z Fernie Ambassador | May 26

z MS Excel Level 2 | May 9

z Learning Genealogy | May 28

z Mountain Bike Skills Development | May 16

z Fernie Ambassador Program | June 2

z MS Excel Level 3 | May 16

z Summer Cocktails | June 4

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

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