EDITOR’S FIX

ANDREW VALLANCE is a cinephile nerd who currently lives on the west coast. Girlfriendless, he spends his time going to movies, buying DVDs and flirting.

ANGE QUALIZZA is a nutty economist who has a passion for policy, governance and everything to do with municipal government! Let’s lift up the carpet and take a closer look inside City Hall. ASHLEY KRISTINA has studied astrology for over twenty years and has been reading/teaching for five. For an in depth natal chart reading, email mountainashastrology@gmail.com. BRAD PARSELL is the manager of the Fernie Chamber and loves working with our local vibrant business community. He is also a music nerd with an ever-growing collection of records in his basement. CLAIRE SMALLWOOD is an avid skier, mediocre snowboarder, former personal chef, and newly-minted hockey fan. When Claire’s not on the slopes or whipping up red chile sauce, you can find her at the helm of SheJumps, the nonprofit she co-founded in 2007 with a mission to transform the lives of women and girls through outdoor experiences. 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. PATRICK ROBERTSON is a travel writer and long-time resident of Fernie. He is an expert in planning independent travel and finding budget travel deals. Visit his website at budgetslowtravel. com and on Facebook at facebook.com/ budgetslowtravel. 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. STEPHANIE MCDOWELL is a physiotherapist with Fernie Physiotherapy. Aside from work, she is an outdoor enthusiast, and enjoys soaking up all the baby giggles from her son.

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. TAINA TURCASSO is a naturopathic physician, midwife, and new mama who is at long last practicing in Fernie. She is enjoying getting reacquainted with all of Fernie’s offerings with her family. TYLA CHARBONNEAU is a Registered Psychologist (CPBC2385), dog momma, and nature lover. She loves talking with others about mindfulness, self-compassion, and human nature. It’s been 22 months since COVID-19 threw us all a bit off course. There are many adjectives we could use to describe the ups and downs during this time, but the reality is shifting the focus to moving forward is the most productive and healthiest choice. Focusing on what we can do, continuing to set goals, feeling inspired, trying new things, helping others, being a good neighbour/ friend/community citizen… when you think about it, it’s a great way to move through life at any time. Perhaps this pandemic is what we needed to make this obvious, and to help us appreciate the little things.

I for one am extremely grateful to have the #FernieStreak to kickstart this year. In past, it has gotten me out at 8pm in a rainstorm laughing. It has had my family Nordic skiing with head lamps in piles of powder on a snowy night. It has introduced me to new members of our community. It has made me do things with others when often I do things on my own. I am less excited about the #FernieArtStreak, mostly because I started it last year and didn’t finish it and because writing poetry again is terrifying! But, that’s why I am doing it. Because it’s pushing me to try new things and I know it will be what inspires me.

These streaks are the little things I appreciate this January. Little things, with big, rippling effects. I hope you find yours to kickstart 2022 – Happy New Year.

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.

By Krista Turcasso, Editor

FERNIE FIX | FERNIEFIX.COM

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Editor | Krista Turcasso Creative Director | Vanessa Croome

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