Fernie Fix July 2020

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 163

THE

ISSUE

IN THIS ISSUE: Feature Resident, Michael Bull • Feature Artist, Dave Richards • Dr. Taina Turcasso ND, RM discusses finding focus to change • Yvonne Prest interviews Shred Kelly’s Sage McBride.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Support Local. Have a Fernie Staycation.

Businesses in our community have worked tirelessly to reopen safely for staff and customers.

BC has been successful in flattening the curve and we are all striving to keep it that way.

Local attractions, activity operators and guiding companies, accommodations, shops, restaurants and wellness providers welcome you to Support Local. Experience Fernie by being a tourist in your own town this summer.

Enter to Win a Local Staycation! Visit FernieStaycation.com tourismfernie.com | #ferniestoke | #supportlocal

JULY 2020 | ISSUE 163 THE

FOCUS ISSUE

EDITOR’S FIX p3 BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY p7 Business News It’s in the Numbers by Roman Rybar, CFP Investment Strategies Guide You in Travelling Toward Goals

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT p14 Feature Artist – Dave Richards ArtBeat - Building a Mystery

by Michael Hepher At Peace and Yet On Fire – But I’m Great at Many Other Things by Sadie Rosgen and Rachel Behan Rental Fix – The Gentleman

by Andrew Vallance Events This Month

COMMUNITY p24

HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE p33

Feature Resident - Michael Bull

by Krista Turcasso City Corner - The Potholes of Community Conversation by Ange Qualizza Planning Ahead - Learning to Apologize

by Kerri Wall

Bark Break: A Pain In The Neck

by Val Lanthier Family Wellness with Dr Taina Turcasso, ND RM - Finding Focus in Your Life (and Health) Elements of Movement – Sun’s Out, Guns Out with Maddy Alaric This is Life by Tyla Charbonneau Be Uncomfortable

RECREATION AND OUTDOOR LIFE p30 Rolling Downhill at Fernie Alpine Resort Deer Trail by Karen Pepper Hitting the Trails - Mount Proctor Hike with Julie Kelly Fernie Scavenger Hunt by Wes RobinsonShaw - The Goat on Gorby Trail Fernie Mountain Mamas – Trust and Focus by Yvonne Prest

BITS AND BYTES p40 The Answer Guy – Wifi Calling

by Kevin McIsaac Astrology – July 2020 by Ashley Kristina

FERNIE FUN p42 The Last Page COVER: Water Break at Bisaro Cave Photo by Anatole Tuzlak, @anatoletuzlak THIS PAGE: Late July Alpine Flowers, Upper Spineback Trail at Island Lake.

Photo by Mike McPhee, @mcphoto99 FERNIEFIX.COM

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Turning Houses into Estates.

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

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.

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

KAREN PEPPER has worked at Fernie Alpine Resort for nearly 20 years. She looks forward to highlighting some of the trails at the hill for readers this summer.

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

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

MADDY ALARIC is a lover of putting things down and picking them back up again, whether it be weights or her children. She loves inspiring people through her classes at Soar Studios and looks forward to sharing this love through her column, “Elements of Movement.”

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

ROMAN RYBAR has worked in the financial industry since 1996. He became a Limited Partner with Edward Jones in 2004. When he is not helping clients he can be found enjoying bike trails or manning the bbq for family and friends.

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

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

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

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

VAL LANTHIER is the Vet Tech behind local pet sitting and dog walking services, Pet Tech Care. For her, it’s animals all day every day, with a focus on how we can enrich their lives.

WES ROBINSON-SHAW is a 14 year old avid biker and skier.

After a great year competing at xc skiing at the provincial level his season finished abruptly with the cancelation of the National Championships due to Covid-19. He is already training hard for next season.

YVONNE PREST wears a lot of hats: New mom, writer, teacher, councillor, chips and salsa fanatic. Her favourite hat is being a Fernie-ite.

FERNIE FIX | FERNIEFIX.COM

CONNECT WITH US @FERNIEFIX

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’s Fix

By Krista Turcasso, Editor WHEN we are faced with a challenge, an unexpected change, something new and scary, facing the unknown… we often move through a variety of emotions and feelings, in no particular order. I think it’s safe to say that thus far in 2020, we have run the gamut… on repeat.

The first feeling was likely denial. No, COVID-19 isn’t that serious. It won’t happen in Canada. Then, a bit of fear. How can I protect my family? Then some more fear. Will my business survive? Will Fernie bounce back? Then a whole lot of sadness.

I miss hugging my friends. This is really affecting my children.

Well, then we got angry. REALLY ANGRY! Not only were we experiencing COVID exhaustion and being overloaded with the added responsibilities this global pandemic has affected, we came face-toface with the prevalence of systemic racism in a truly heart wrenching way. George Floyd was murdered by a police officer while he pleaded for his life and called out for his mother. Rage, shock, disbelief, rage again, nausea. Why? How? What. Is. Happening?

We wanted to know more. We read. We talked. We listened. We cried. We felt it all and we looked hard. Within, behind, ahead.

We can see this mountain upon us, the work we all need to do and be a part of.

And it’s daunting. But we can’t go back.

Change is needed. We need to be better than this. No, we have to be better.

It’s time to focus, and it starts with each one of us.

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

FERNIEFIX.COM

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North Coal is commited to the Elk Valley.

North Coal continues to progress through its regulatory requirements. We are focused on providing 300 family-supporting careers once approvals are received, and we are operational.

The Elk Valley is yet again demonstrating its resilience. It has been a challenging year for all, and we at North Coal are proud to be a small, but growing, part of this great community. inf o @ n o rt h c o al.c a | 7 7 8 .5 1 8 .0 7 75

n o rt h c o a l . c a

Business in the Valley

BUSINESS NEWS

Born to Adventure Photo

Brooks Creek Ranch brookscreekranch.com SET above the Elk River, Brooks Creek Ranch is a group accommodation facility that delivers a luxurious escape in the heart of the Elk Valley. Only 15 minutes from the town of Fernie, Brooks Creek Ranch offers a quiet tranquil environment with opportunities to explore and adventure, all while having a concierge level service at the ready.

The team at Brooks Creek provide chef plated hot breakfasts daily paired with lattes and cappuccinos made from locally roasted Rooftop Roasters beans. Looking to customize your stay? That’s what they’re all about, whether it’s your private kitchen party with their executive chef or a guided whitewater adventure, they will look after all the details to complete your perfect Rocky Mountain getaway.

Booking specials currently include dinner packs from The Loaf Restaurant and family adventure photo session with Born to Adventure photography included with longer stays. Contact the concierge for more details 1-866-288-1418.

Submitted Photo

NEW BUSINESS

Dayna Conway Counselling RRC daynahaigconwaycounselling.com DAYNA Conway, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and longtime Fernie resident, is excited to be opening a new private practice in Fernie, Dayna Haig Conway Counselling (DHCC).

Dayna offers individual and group counselling sessions primarily online.

Dayna aims to provide holistic support for women, parents, and families and believes the best way to help children through challenges is by empowering their parents and guardians with support and resources. DHCC also offers The Mama Tribe, where expecting and new mothers can access weekly sessions. For more information, contact Dayna via email at dayna@dhccounselling.com, visit her website or check out The Mama Tribe on Instagram @the.mamatribe.

Submitted Photo

Earth’s Own Natural 502 8th Ave 778-481-5425 HOW do you create the life you want?

Like snowflakes, no two people are the same and Earth’s Own Natural understands that and are dedicated towards working with their customers to develop a formula for a great life assisting you in finding Your Own Natural.

It’s a subtle thing, and only you know exactly what that looks like, but Earth’s Own Natural is here to help. They’ll ask key questions to help you find your ideal experience and invite you to stop in for a chat. While you can’t literally order a custom experience, with the right conversation, you can come pretty close.

Gone are the times when selection was limited to what was on the street – now there is a huge range of options like CBD and THC drinks, topicals, edibles and a variety of products to inhale, so you can zero in on exactly what you’re looking for. With the modern product line Earth’s Own Naturals carries, there’s something for everyone – let them figure out what’s right for you.

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Business in the Valley

BUSINESS NEWS

Christa Moffat Photo

East Kootenay Division of Family Practice THE East Kootenay Division of Family Practice works to continuously develop better and more comprehensive primary care in the region. Thanks to Shared Care’s financial support, the Division has been working for the last year to improve chronic pain care in the Elk Valley.

In other communities the creation of a peer support group proved to be really helpful for people with chronic pain. The first step to creating a local group in the Elk Valley is to find volunteers to facilitate the group meetings.

Self-Management BC is offering free leadership training in Fernie.

Anyone interested can send an email to elkvalleychronicpain@gmail. com or contact Christine Bramwell, Self-Management BC coordinator, at bramwell@uvic.ca.

More resources regarding chronic pain can be found at painbc.ca/elkvalley.

The Green Petal

Luchadora

421 2nd Ave 250-423-4486

531 2nd Ave 250-423-5566

THE Green Petal opened its doors in 2010 and has become a major player in the Fernie wedding industry for its floral design. The shop also boasts unique home and kitchen décor and is excited to be a part of the tropical houseplant trend happening now. New owner Kim Larsen plans on growing the houseplant side of the business.

NEVADOS is excited to present Luchadora Burrito Co. to Fernie this summer. Their talented and dedicated team put their heads together and created a fun new concept in order to keep their doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With more people now working from home I think people want to beautify their surroundings, and plants are more than just beautiful, they cleanse the air we breathe and like a pet they require love and nurturing to live,” says Larsen.

Until Nevados is able to return, Luchadora will be offering delicious burritos, beers and margaritas on the beautiful Nevados patio that we know and love. Quench your thirst and enjoy a burrito after a bike ride, or indulge in some nacho fries when you return from the lake.

Plant shipments arrive bi-weekly and they go fast! Follow them on instagram for all the new arrivals.

You can follow Luchadora’s progress on Instagram @luchadora.fernie and check out the menu at luchadora.ca

rockies notary & legal A Division of Rockies Law Corporation

Real Estate, Family Law, Business Law, Corporate and Commercial, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Tax Law, Wills and Estates

Mountain Lion Photography Photo

NEW BUSINESS

Mountain Lion Photography mountainlionphoto.com NEW this summer, Mountain Lion Photography is offering lifestyle photography in Fernie to create lifelong memories from everyday moments. Their relaxed, candid style captures true-tolife images of their clients spending time with loved ones and doing the things they enjoy. Services are tailored to meet each client’s wishes, including sessions for family, children, couples and engagement, maternity and newborn, sports, pets, holiday themes and other special events.

Karen Tse | Graeme R. Nunn | Marian Gravelle

Fernie

Sparwood

PO Box 490, Suite 202, 502 Third avenue Fernie, BC V0B 1M0 Tel: (250) 423-4446 | Fax: (250) 423-4065

PO Box 1886, #116 - 101 Red Cedar Drive Sparwood, BC V0B 2G0 Tel: (250) 425-2114 | Fax: (250) 425-2204

info@rockieslaw.com

WINNER ’Best New Business 2018’ fernie Business excellence Awards

CUSTOM COPPERWORKS DECOR

Sara Edmondson, owner of Mountain Lion Photography, has been providing content for various East Kootenay media and businesses since 2013 while honing her love of photography on family and friends. After having a child of her own and realizing just how fleeting time is with a little one, she was motivated to provide high quality photography services at affordable prices for all families.

Visit the website to find out more and to book your session.

www.rockieslaw.com

Taking your dreams and making them a reality ZINC, Custom Sheet Metal AND FLASHINGS CUSTOM Tables and tableTops Available

Tim Popowich 250-423-0292

find us on facebook

tim@ferniecopperworks.ca www.ferniecopperworks.ca FERNIEFIX.COM

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Fernie Central Reservations Fernie’s Leader in Short-Term Rentals Renting in Fernie and Property Management.

In Town or at the Resort.

ferniecentralreservations.com Short-Term Rental Division

250-423-2077 or 800-622-5007 • 20 years of experience • 24/7 emergency monitoring • Competitive commission rates

• Newly invested in in-house cleaning and laundry service • Maintenance/hot tub services

Enhanced COVID Cleaning Protocols • Experienced marketing • Accounting & reporting • The highest nightly return

Renting in Fernie Proud to Offer the Largest Long-Term Rental Inventory in Fernie.

• Fernie’s longest running property management company • Over 20 years of rental experience • Licensed property managers are governed by the Real Estate Council of BC • 24/7 emergency on call • Rapid response to all property maintenance issues • Secured damage deposits are held in trust to protect you

Heidi Berry owner/broker of All IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

rentinginfernie.com Long-Term Rental Division

250-423-2052 or 877-661-9993

Go play... we’ll look after the rest.

We are a local and dedicated team who services strata managers, property managers, rental managers, vacation property owners, AirBnB property owners, residential and commercial property owners.

• Hot tub and pool maintenance • Security inspections. Insurance requirements protect, document, archive

• Roofing, siding, fascia, soffit, gutter, door, window repairs • Basic plumbing and electrical repairs

• Property Maintenance inspections includings batteries, smoke alarms, furnace

• Emergency response, flood and water

• Heat trace snow and ice daming mitigation

• Project Management Services

• Lawn maintenance • Painting and staining interior and exterior

• NEW: Security System Installations and Monitoring: cameras and alarms

• Drywall

• Flood sensors

• Strata Property Services

• Flooring and decking installation

OFFICE: 778-519-5190 | TEXT: 250-430-1049 | EMAIL: admin@fernieco.ca

ferniepropertycare.ca

Business in the Valley

IT’S IN THE NUMBERS

Investment Strategies Guide You in Travelling Toward Goals

by ROMAN RYBAR, CFP SUMMER is here at last. For many people, it’s time to get the car ready for a long road trip. And with GPS-enabled smartphones, it’s now a lot easier to navigate these drives without getting lost. During your life, you may take many journeys – one of which is the long road you’ll travel toward your financial goals. But even on this path you can benefit from a “GPS” in the form of your goal-oriented, personalized strategy.

Your investment strategy can function this way by helping answer these four questions:

1. How far do I have to go?

Your smartphone’s GPS can quickly tell you how many miles you need to travel to arrive at your destination. And a wellconstructed investment strategy can inform you of when you might reach a goal, such as having a desired amount of money when you retire, given your current age, earnings, sources of retirement income, and so on.

2. What route should I follow?

Your GPS will plot out your route, showing what turns you should take along the way. Similarly, to reach your desired financial outcome, your investment strategy helps guide the investment decisions you make, such as investing adequate amounts in the appropriate vehicles, including your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) or Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA).

3. What problems await me?

When your smartphone’s GPS shows red

education costs than you bargained for, and so on.

4. When should I take an alternate route?

Stock Photo

“During your life, you may take many journeys – one of which is the long road you’ll travel toward your financial goals.” on the route you’re following, you know that heavy traffic lies ahead. And your investment strategy can also help you manage bumps in the road, particularly if it’s a strategy you’ve designed with a financial professional, who has the knowledge and technology to create various scenarios and hypothetical illustrations to account for potential difficulties – i.e., a rate of return that’s less than expected, a lower income base than you had anticipated, greater post-secondary

For whatever reason, you may deviate from the course plotted by your GPS – which will then helpfully re-route you.

While following your investment strategy, if you make a wrong turn, so to speak – perhaps by putting insufficient funds in a retirement account or by assembling an investment mix that has become unsuitable for your risk tolerance – you may need to get back on track.

As we’ve seen, some analogies exist between your smartphone’s GPS and your investment strategy. And yet, there’s also a big difference in terms of complexity.

It’s simple to program your smartphone to give you the directions you need. But crafting a personalized investment strategy takes time and effort.You need to consider all your goals – college for your children, a comfortable retirement, the ability to leave the legacy you want – along with your time horizon, risk tolerance and other factors. And your investment strategy may well need to change over the years, in response to changes in your family situation, employment and even your objectives – for example, you may decide you want to retire earlier (or later) than you had originally planned.

In any case, like your GPS, your investment strategy can help guide you – so make good use of it.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Arts and Entertainment

FEATURE ARTIST

Dave Richards I love to work with my hands to create things. I also really enjoy learning how something is done and challenging myself to see if I can do it. So, I experiment with different materials and techniques as a hobby. I get immersed in the act and that focus washes away the stresses of work and life.

I have spent most of my working career guiding, teaching or managing in outdoor adventure, but my first job as a teenager was as an artist apprentice building stained glass art. A woodworking elective in high school gave me a pretty good understanding of how to work with wood and a pottery elective helped with learning to shape things. All other techniques I learned by reading and, of course, YouTube.

My creations sometimes come as a string of loosely related thoughts with one

project leading to the next. One day I started wondering what would I do if I got stranded in the wilderness - could I start a fire without matches? So, I learned how to do that with a bow drill and made fire from bits of wood. That got me wondering how hunting bows are made. So, I learned about that process and made a 320N draw-weight bow from a single piece of wood, complete with recurved ends for extra spring. Then I thought, who carries a bow string with them? So, I got some sinew scraps from Backcountry Meats (and dried it in my wife’s food dehydrator) and learned to weave that into a bow string. Ah, but the arrows… the wood part, the head and the feathers were easy but who carries glue? So, I learned how glue was made in ancient times. Et voilà, a fully functional survival bow and arrow that can be made from nature.

I thought it would be fun to melt metal, so I made a foundry powered by charcoal and forced air (from my wife’s blow drier).

I experimented with pouring melted aluminium from pop (read beer) cans and broken ski poles, etc. into casts. I made up for use of my wife’s blow drier by casting a ring for her out of silver (sadly I had to buy the silver). Of course, I wondered how charcoal was made so I made a bunch of that too and used it for other casting projects.

I thought Blacksmithing was a natural extension from casting. I made a propane powered forge and hammered out a few swords and kitchen knives out of scrap car springs. For a bit more challenge I made a Damascus steel knife out of a bicycle chain. I then etched the blade in acid, so the pattern of the chain links shows in the blade.

I was starting to get a bit self-conscious about being stuck in the Iron Age. I vaguely remembered how an electric motor worked from college physics but needed some brushing up. I started with making a mini, basic electric motor from wire and magnets. Next I converted a scrap motor into a generator. Then I shaped styrofoam into modern windmill blades. For the blades, I used a similar foam shaping and fibre glass technique that is used for making surf boards. The challenge was getting the correct twist and taper for max efficiency. I installed the 3.5m diameter wind turbine on the roof, and it worked great, but my wife made me take it down because it was scaring the neighbours‌ it really moved!

Lately I have been playing around with live edge wood and resin river art. The

resin is pricy, so I am starting with small things like trivets, coasters and end tables.

I fabricated an Alaskan sawmill for my chain saw and hope to do some bigger tables when I get better at the resin. Since I now have a sawmill, I use it to mill wood for furniture. I am most happy with my park bench made from a root ball of a blown down tree.

My daughter gave a presentation on how much plastic is wasted so I fabricated a mini plastic recycling machine. It accepts cut-up bits of used plastic and extrudes them into moulds up to 15cm x 15cm. I have not yet made the moulds but watch for updates. While working with plastic I decided to play around with welding plastic sheets into useful things. I needed a dry bag big enough to bring my guitar on canoe trips, so I welded one.

When I started to learn guitar a few years ago, I made a music stand out of my wife’s cookie sheet. The good news is there is now music, the bad news is there are no more cookies. I also used the welder and the forge to make artistic guitar and ukulele stands.

As you can see, I suffer from some sort of creative A.D.D. What I lack in talent, I make up for in obsessiveness and a readiness to fail. If you are curious give it a try; it is fun. But be forewarned it can be addictive, your friends might tease you, and sometimes your wife gets upset when her blow drier, cookie sheet and bike chain go missing.

If you are interested in seeing more photos of the projects, check out makerdave. netlify.com

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Make this the next peak to be conquered The Master Peak collection

581A 2nd Ave., Downtown Fernie 250.423.2680

OPEN DAILY Locally owned and operated.

Marilyn Brock

Managing Broker/Owner/REALTORŽ 250-423-8650 • marilyn@c21fernie.ca marilynbrock.com 362B 2nd Avenue, Fernie, BC

The Cottages at Montane 10A Piedmont Drive Offered at $739,000 2 Bedrooms/2.5 Bath MLS#2452616 for 3D tour

Arts and Entertainment

THE RENTAL FIX

The Gentleman

by ANDREW VALLANCE

JOIN US THIS SUMMER AT THE BRICKHOUSE A GREAT PLACE TO CHILL AFTER A DAY ON THE TRAILS

GUY Stuart Ritchie is an English film director, producer and writer. He left school at 15, determined to work in the film industry where he started doing entry-level jobs before going on to direct television commercials. He made his directorial debut in feature film in 1998 when he made Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in which he portrayed a group of lovable anti-heroes out-of-their-depth in the English criminal underworld. The film starred Jason Statham and launched the acting career of former footballer Vinnie Jones. In 2000 Ritchie gained critical and commercial success with Snatch, his second film and another stylish crime-comedy, this time starring Benicio del Toro, Brad Pitt and Vinnie Jones.

Perhaps looking for a change from his formulaic crime movies, Richie dabbled in a number of less successful films. In 2002 he directed the romantic comedy, Swept Away, hiring his then-wife, Madonna, and Adriano Giannini to play a couple shipwrecked on a deserted island. The film won five awards at the 2002 Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst Director.

• Featuring a 100% BC only wine list and beer on tap • Lunch and dinner menu with homemade burgers • Open 7 days a week, 11:30am to close • Live music

thebrickhousefernie.com 401 2nd Ave, Historic Downtown Fernie • 250.423.0009

After a two-year hiatus, Ritchie returned to his crime caper formula in 2005 when he directed Revolver. The film starred Jason Statham and Ray Liotta, but the film was critically panned and a commercial failure.

In 2008 he made RockNRolla featuring a strong cast including Gerard Butler, Idris Elva, Tom Hardy, Tom Wilkinson and Mark Strong. It was generally well-received, but still had mixed audience reviews.

Ritchie regained his directorial success in 2009 with Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law. The film received two Academy Award nominations and Downey won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. In 2011, Ritchie

directed the sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows which was also a commercial success.

In 2015 Ritchie directed The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which received mixed critical reviews, and in 2017 Warner Bros hired Ritchie to direct the commercially unsuccessful King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. In 2019 he was hired by Disney to direct the live-action Aladdin, which was a big commercial success, earning more than $1 billion worldwide, making it one of the highestgrossing films in 2019.

Ritchie’s most recent cinematic offering is The Gentlemen, which takes Ritchie back to his roots. It is a film about a mob war between two London gangsters, a marijuana dealer played by Matthew McConaughey and a heroin dealer played

by Henry Golding. The story is told from the perspective of one gang’s lieutenant, played by Charlie Hunnam, and an exceptionally amoral tabloid journalist portrayed by Hugh Grant, who atypically plays a character who is unattractive, homosexual and a cockney. The film also features Michelle Dochery as the marijuana dealer’s wife, and Colin Farrell as a petty criminal and mixed martial artist, who gets unwillingly dragged into the turbulent and ugly events surrounding the gang war.

This film is technically excellent, and is typical of Ritchie’s style of film-making.

Lots of violence laced with comedic dialogue.

FERNIEFIX.COM FERNIEFIX.COM

17 17

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. — Mahatma Gandhi

APPLY NOW! HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT The Health Care Assistant program is one example of how we respond to the employment needs of the Elk Valley and its residents. Contact us to learn more about all of our program options.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

cotr.ca/Fernie

APPLY NOW FOR FALL 2020

FERNIE CAMPUS

Arts and Entertainment

ARTBEAT

Building a Mystery

by MICHAEL HEPHER LAST year I bought my first real camera; a lightly-used digital SLR. For years I had heard terms like ‘exposure’ and the ever-mysterious ‘f-stop,’ but they remained abstract concepts—the secret language used by photographers to work their magic.

Over the past few months I’ve learned that the biggest difference between an SLR camera and a point-and-shoot is the ability to manually adjust the f-stop, which controls the aperture, or size of hole the light comes through. If you think back to primary school when you were making light-boxes to look at projections of a solar eclipse, the aperture would be the size of the pin-hole you make in the box.

Aperture is counter-intuitive to use because a lower number means more light gets through, but the amazing thing it gives you is the ability to change the focal depth—the background and foreground can be blurred out to give the subject of the picture a sharp focus. This ability quickly transforms a camera from a memory capturing device into a tool of advanced composition.

The best art uses the concept of focus to create interesting compositions. In high school art class we were taught about creating a ‘focal point,’ but that’s just the tip of the iceberg in a kit of tools available— interesting pieces have enough depth to engage the viewer for a longer period so they can peel the layers of the story.

Take a look at the pieces of art on the wall around you. Which ones capture your attention and why? If you feel like your eye is being led around the piece by lines, swirling in eddies around shapes, then the artist has done a good job of using composition to engage you in the piece.

If you feel like you get caught in a corner,

or your eye runs off the edge never to return, then the artist has missed something important.

No matter the medium, as artists we need to be Submitted Image conscious of focus when we layout a composition.

The late Robert Genn, an esteemed Canadian landscape artist, created for himself a set of eleven guidelines that I’ve found useful for evaluating compositions.

Mastering them all is a lifelong process, but let’s have a look at three of them to jumpstart our compositional journey. In his method they are represented by the letters S, O and M*.

S • Eye-control, lead-in, meandering river or wandering path.

Straight lines are harsh and in-human.

Using harsh straights in moderation can communicate movement and action, but beware the aggressive feeling of knife-slashing they can bring. To soften the experience, use ‘S’ shapes. Allow the viewer’s eye to meander around the composition. ‘S’ creates calm enjoyment and allows thorough exploration. Nudge the viewer this way and that as a river does to a person on an inner tube.

O • The circular imperative. Keeps the viewer’s eyes moving around.

If you find yourself quickly bored by a piece of art, odds are it’s because the artist

has unintentionally led your eye right off the canvas and onto the wall or worse— to someone else’s piece. Of course there can be lines that go off the edge, but the artist must be careful that the overarching motion in the piece is circular. Take special care to avoid things that trap the viewer’s eye in a corner, or push it off an edge.

M • Mystery. A good composition does not need to tell the whole story.

Instinctively our inclination is to include everything about a scene that we find inspiring, but curating a composition is as important as not over-sharing on a first date—a person can feel inundated, which is counterproductive to real engagement. Let the viewer imagine what they can’t see as if the painting is a window into a world they want to visit. Let the mystery entice them.

This is where, as a photographer with a good camera, the f-stop can come into play: blur the background, change the focus of the foreground, and most importantly: don’t make it easy for the viewer to absorb everything quickly. Draw them in, give them a tour—like a good real estate agent you can get the viewer to imagine living in that world.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last year thinking about what makes a great photo and as it turns out, it’s the same thing that makes a great painting: good composition.

These rules are made to be broken, but a thoughtful approach can turn a good piece into a great piece. Who doesn’t love a bit of mystery now and then? * For more information about Robert Genn’s guidelines, see: The Painters Keys, first published as Compositional Keys by Robert Genn on January 23, 2009. Republished on January 21, 2020 at painterskeys.com/ compositional-keys-2/

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Arts and Entertainment

AT PEACE AND YET ON FIRE

But I’m Great At Many Other Things

by SADIE ROSGEN and RACHEL BEHAN

“The human word is the power that orders our chaos.” -Northrop Frye When I first met Rachel Behan she was at ease, definitely shining, and moving through time and space on a wavelength that suited me perfectly. I came to learn (her accent, a melodic and effervescent Manchester dialect) that she worked as a nanny and simply adored living in Fernie. Perhaps it was the sparkle in her eye that connected us again, this time she was caring for my children and we were dreaming up a theatre performance camp called, Shine. The camp would facilitate our love to teach performance techniques in acting, singing, dance, and writing. To date we have taught hundreds of kids about the magical power of theatre and performance. When Rachel and her husband Riccy started a cover band, The Hip Flexers, I was so excited! Seeing their first few gigs was a blast. When Rachel asked if I would join the group a year ago I was honoured. We have the most fun performing, teaching, and parenting together.

I am forever thankful for this shining, sparkling, diamond of a human.

But I’m Great At Many Other Things

By Rachel Behan and Sadie Rosgen But I’m great at many other things!

See me See me See me Finding zero Denying anxiety How can I focus?

I’m an all over the place daydreamer But I’m great at many other things!

My words have no meaning

LOTS OF JOBS Switching off I like this pen BE PRESENT SPUR ON Unrelenting FEAR But I’m great at many other things!

This sounds peaceful La la di dahhhhhhhhhhhhh Planning the rest of my day ahead La la di dahhhhhhhhhhhhh A balanced life regenerating La la di dahhhhhhhhhhhhh Put me out out out I am great at many things...

FERNIEFIX.COM

21

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Arts and Entertainment

EVENT CALENDAR

MONTHLY EVENTS Wednesday 1.7.2020 Virtual Canada Day Celebration @ Fernie.

Enjoy Canada Day from home!

Canada Day Mobile Celebration @ Fernie from your balcony or front yard, 2pm Virtual Concert @ Zoom or Facebook, 8-10pm Wheels in the Valley Bi-Monthly Cruise @ Fernie Legion, 6pm Saturday 4.7.2020 Trek Dirt Series mountain Bike Series @ The Guide’s Hut, two-day camp Monday 6.7.2020 Five-Day Summer Camp @ Elk Valley Gymnastics, 9am-12pm Club Cre8 @ The Arts Station Tuesday 7.7.2020 Custom Learning Sessions @ Love it or Leave it Ranch, 9am Wednesday 8.7.2020 Beginner Group Agility Lessons @ Vipers Choice Raw Pet Food and Training, 6pm Thursday 9.7.2020 Mini Clinic - Braking and Descending @ Mystic Mountain Adventures Fernie Business Community Meeting @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce - Zoom, 1:30pm

Sunday 12.7.2020 Paint ’N Sip @ Cirque Restaurant, 3-5pm Monday 13.7.2020 Five-Day Summer Camp @ Elk Valley Gymnastics, 9am-12pm Regular Council Meeting @ City of Fernie, 7pm Tuesday 14.7.2020 Teen Improv Camp @ The Arts Station, 10am.

Three-day camp ages 11-15 Wednesday 15.7.2020 Beginner Group Agility Lessons @ Vipers Choice Raw Pet Food and Training, 6pm Thursday 16.7.2020 Mini Clinic - Pumping and Roll Downs @ Mystic Mountain Adventures Monday 20.7.2020 Five-Day Summer Camp @ Elk Valley Gymnastics, 9am-12pm Committee of the Whole Meeting @ City of Fernie, 1pm Tuesday 21.7.2020 Let’s Ride Beginner Three-Day Camp @ Mystic Mountain Adventures, ages 8-13 Thursday 23.7.2020 Mini Clinic - Cornering @ Mystic Mountain Adventures

Monday 27.7.2020 Five-Day Summer Camp @ Elk Valley Gymnastics, 9am-12pm Tuesday 28.7.2020 Crank It Up Advanced Three-Day Camp @ Mystic Mountain Adventures, ages 10-14 Thursday 30.7.2020 Mini Clinic - Pumping and Jumping @ Mystic Mountain Adventures

CANADA DAY This year you can enjoy Canada Day festivities from your home! The City of Fernie has partnered with the Fernie Chamber of Commerce to host this virtual celebration, with partners The Fernie Heritage Library, The Arts Station, Wapiti, Freshies Café, Teck, and B-104 Total Country. Make sure to pick up kits from the library, Arts Station, and Chamber of Commerce to help you prepare for the day.

And don’t miss the following: Mobile Celebration - starting at 2pm.

Check the map of the route, decorate your house, dress up, and get outside as the videographer captures how Fernie celebrates Canada Day during COVID-19.

Virtual Concert - 8-10pm. Live concert with Red Girl, Wild Honey, The Runs and Shred Kelly.

For full details visit fernie.ca and ferniechamber.com

WEEKLY EVENTS Mondays Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page Date Night @ Island Lake Lodge Tuesdays Baby Goose @ Zoom, 9:30am Storytime (ages 3-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library. 11:15am Try it for school-aged kids @ Home Challenge with the Fernie Heritage Library Art History with Jackie Weekly Video Launch @ The Arts Station Art on the Deck @ The Arts Station, 1pm practice the style of each week’s featured artist Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page Ladies Night @ Fernie Golf Club

Wednesdays Curbside Challenge for school-aged kids @ with the Fernie Heritage Library Toddlertime (Ages 0-2 years) @ Fernie Heritage Library. 11:15am Drawing with Letters and Numbers @ Arts Station, 3pm ages 5-6 with Tara Higgins Men’s Night @ Fernie Golf Club Wing Take Away @ Bridge Bistro Virtual Open Studio @ The Arts Station, 7-9pm

Scott Thursday Night Race Series @ Fernie Alpine Resort, 6:30pm

Thursdays InterActive Hour @ Zoom, 10am Bellies to Babies @ Zoom, 2pm Reading Club with the Fernie Heritage Library FTA Trail Work @ Dirt Jump Park, 6pm Seniors Club @ Fernie Golf Club

Saturdays Shawarma Take Out @ Fernie Hotel, 4pm

Fridays Storytime (ages 0-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library. 11:15am Fernie Mini Shredders Session @ Mystic Mountain Adventures, ages 5-8 Art History with Jackie @ Arts Station YouTube channel Fish and Chips Take Away @ Fernie Hotel, 4pm

Sundays Pick-up Roast Dinner @ Infinitea, 6pm Fernie Mountain Market @ Rotary Park, 10am

FERNIEFIX.COM

23

Community

FEATURE RESIDENT

Michael Bull

by KRISTA TURCASSO

because the system we built is for people who look like you and me. We all benefit intentionally or not, and we have to start with personal endeavours.”

THIS May, as we watched people take to the streets around the world to protest racism and police brutality, our little mountain town may have felt… quiet.

But the reality is, the energy and rage was mounting. An impressive number of businesses and residents took part in #blackouttuesday, stepping away from social media, augmenting the stories and voices of those who need to be heard, showing they want to be an ally and part of the solution.

Through social media, conversations with friends and colleagues, it was clear there were many in our community who wanted to do more. Michael Bull is one of these people. A Grade 5 teacher at the Fernie Academy, Michael was among approximately twenty individuals who took that want and started working on an event for Fernie.

“I was invited a few days after the discussions started to be an organizer.

The original idea was to have a protest or march in town and to try to get black, indigenous or people of colour to speak.

We decided because we were having trouble finding someone who wanted to speak, that we couldn’t force it. Even though we are well-intentioned, we recognized that we shouldn’t be speaking for or on the behalf of black, indigenous or people of colour,” Michael tells me over zoom. The group decided to make it more of a listening engagement event.

We’re reaching out to let you know that this Sunday, June 14 from 2-4 pm we will be hosting a Listening Project to show our solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and we invite you to join the conversation.

While the Listening Project was deemed a success, it is far from the end. Those in attendance were encouraged to discover black or indigenous artists, to read more, to engage in dialogue. And the organizers plan to hold another event down the road.

“Maybe it will be a protest, and it will attract speakers who don’t look like us. The goal is for it to build and to get that ball rolling,” Michael adds.

Submitted Photo This was the opening paragraph of an email sent to ‘every place of business or organization in town we could think of.’

A Facebook event was created by the Awareness and Accountability Project and the positive response was immediate. This open invitation to come talk and listen, receive useful resources and materials, and sign up to be a part of the conversation as it continues within the Elk Valley was met with open arms, even in the pouring rain.

Michael is the first to admit that one of the major challenges for the Awareness and Accountability Project is that they don’t have answers. “We just know it’s better than doing nothing. It can’t just be an event, it has to be progress… a personal endeavour to continuously grow and learn and educate and it doesn’t just end at a protest or march. Even if there were no more racist people, it would still exist

“Living here can throw up a lot of blind spots… not having the diversity, being isolated from the rest of the world, we think it doesn’t apply here. But we are only afforded that privilege because we are white,” Michael shares as we talk about our experiences living in Fernie. He had the opportunity to live in various places including Houston, Texas and the MiddleEast as his parents moved for their careers.

While he never experienced oppression or racism directly, his parents were very open with him and shared their own experiences.

Looking back, Michael recognizes (as I am sure many of us can relate to) that he moved to Fernie as an avoidance technique. “I hid in the mountains and thought I could make the world a better place through journalism or teaching my students to be compassionate and kind and respectful. I thought that would be enough.

I think in the last few weeks/months it has shown me that it is not enough, and that was a lesson for me. I need to do more, and I’m looking forward to doing it.”

Thank you for the inspiration, Michael and your team at the Awareness and Accountability Project. For standing up and encouraging us to do the same.

We look forward to being a part of and supporting future projects and events.

removed and we’ll be left with something more sterile or unrecognizable… keep things affordable and strange and funny.

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

Coffee and an English muffin with peanut butter.

Probably when I was 12 or 13, 2001/2 on ski trips with my family.

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

2. Who did you first meet?

Um I did an internship at the Free Press when I was 23 and almost got fired… from a free internship. It was the summer that I met everyone that I know now, had no desire to put in the work that was needed as was so enamoured with the people and life.

Probably one of the people I first met was Mark Gibb, who used to own Boardstiff and he became really good friends with my dad.

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

How quiet it was. There’s just a stillness and a serenity that is unheard of living in the City.

4. What keeps you here?

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

10. Quote to live by: Be excellent to each other. From Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and I don’t think you could sum it up better than that.

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5. Do you have a favourite Fernie pastime?

You’ll see me in the bagel shop at any time of day. Sitting at the counter, doing a crossword and drinking coffee. It’s one of my favourite things.

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

I almost want to say summer, because everyone is biking around, softball season is my favourite season, people you haven’t seen throughout the whole winter emerge out of the woodwork… but there is just something so pretty about autumn. Almost beyond words.

7. Where do you see or hope to see Fernie in five years?

I hope there is an effort to keep the weirdness in Fernie. I fear the strange people and the quirks and the idiosyncrasies are going to be ironed out or FERNIEFIX.COM

25

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Community

CITY CORNER

The Potholes of Community Conversation

by ANGE QUALIZZA I found myself this past week thinking a lot about the definition of civility, how tenuous it is and how our community is the owner of it. Civility can tear as easy as tissue paper.

The Institute for Civility in Government defines civility as being more than just polite. It is about “disagreeing without disrespect, seeking common ground as a starting point for dialogue about differences, listening past one’s preconceptions, and teaching others to do the same. Civility is the hard work of staying present even with whom we have deep- rooted and fierce disagreements. It is political in the sense Photo courtesy of the Brickhouse that it is a necessary prerequisite for civic opportunity without the rigid design action.” 1 standards to support businesses expanding Recently Council had the pleasure of their spaces. hearing a delegation present about the Our goal with this policy was to make sure challenge associated with meeting physical it supported all business should they want distancing while operating food and to apply, and is available in the following beverage services. The delegates spoke zones; C1, C2, C-Hwy, C-WF, CS-1, at length that these new requirements CD-2. This policy includes a specific 2020 are going to pose a challenge that might actually be insurmountable to business. Our provision where fees would be waived as Covid-19 response is a priority of Council our goal is to support business in response to Covid-19. and we moved to support this delegation by asking staff to bring us back a report In addition to the patio policy, staff took outlining tools that would serve all of our the opportunity to provide Council a business community during these uncertain report detailing closing Second Avenue. A times. number of communities have supported their business community meeting physical In very short order, staff rose to the distancing by closing their main streets, so challenge and presented us with an this was a very logical report for Council to opportunity to support our business consider. community. Our Historic Downtown patio policy has been very successful, our The very idea of closing Second Avenue community is now familiar to the concept saw our community deeply divided. of sharing spaces to create a vibrant Whether it was a Second Avenue downtown. It was an easy decision to then stakeholder, or a community member at rescind our Historic Downtown patio large, each person represented a completely policy which was very restrictive and move different perspective, each person spoke towards a new more flexible policy that about the vulnerabilities they are facing in allows retail and business to expand into this challenging environment. They were the street to sell their products, a temporary honest, and often raw conversations. The

shared concern from stakeholders on both sides of this argument was quite simply that their business survives.

The next 18-months in Fernie are going to be difficult, require new and bold ideas and the only way we are going to encourage creativity to help drive Fernie towards resiliency and a new future is if we create space to listen to ideas. Good ones, crazy ones and ones that seem impossible but awesome!

The next time a big idea comes forward, I would encourage you to participate. We are in the midst of an international siren call right now, being asked to commit to challenging our own biases and assumptions, to practice civility and to call out shameful behaviour.

The happy accident of striking a nerve in our community, is it has a lot of people talking. Considering the future. Our downtown businesses are talking to each other.

I can hardly wait for the next big idea that gets our community speaking about a single issue.

Community engagement can be pretty fantastic, but remember, “Civility is claiming and caring for one’s identity, needs and beliefs without degrading someone else’s in the process.” (Tomas Spath and Cassandra Dahnke).

The Second Avenue issue will be something we are going to be evaluating again in the future, so stay with us, stay engaged and meet us in conversation without degrading someone who might not share your opinion.

1. instituteforcivility.org/who-we-are/ what-is-civility/ FERNIEFIX.COM

27

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Community

PLANNING AHEAD

Learning to Apologize

by KERRI WALL THERE are a few key parenting mindsets that I build each of my monthly articles around. If you’ve been reading this column for a while you will see some repeating themes – integrity (walking our talk), taking the long view instead of getting caught up in daily struggles, and seeing things from a teenager’s perspective. These are important areas to focus on at all times.

Here I will discuss some techniques to boost your competency as a parent across all of these skills.

Doing it Right on the Wrong Side of Town Parents can make dozens of mistakes a day.

We might be too demanding, we might be ignoring, maybe we’re distracted, or rough.

The list is extensive, and the opportunities to model a good apology are abundant in family life. Here are some useful steps to take with teens: 1. Acknowledge what you see and what happened – “you look mad that I didn’t wash your uniform.”

Asking Kids to Apologize If you’re like most parents, you started asking your children to apologize as soon as they could talk. It seemed like the right thing to do.You thought it would help them be a kinder, gentler friend. I have to let you know this is somewhat flawed.

Remember when your toddler grabbed a toy out of her cousin’s hand? You told her, “Say sorry!” In social situations we might fear other adults judging us as not keeping our young person in line, and our actions might be more about wanting approval from our peers and less about guiding our kid.

How Humans Learn Research shows that as children develop, they learn how to act by watching and imitating the behaviours of the grown-ups they are closest to. Observing what people they trust actually DO, and copying THAT, is a more reliable survival strategy for little ones than doing what they are told. This means that our kids will learn how to apologize by watching us do it. And just like anything else we want to teach them, we will need to demonstrate over and over how it’s done.

V. Croome Photo

The Purpose of an Apology Apologizing comes out of the recognition that you have hurt someone, and you feel ashamed or unhappy about it. It’s a way of saying, “I made a mistake!” to repair relations, even if the harm was minor or non-existent. If I step on your foot or speak an offending joke, I should be able to tell you are physically or emotionally injured by looking at your reaction. If I wish to stay warmly connected to you, or be in your good books, or not be regarded as a selfish nitwit, I will say sorry.

Note that the first step here is to look for the reaction. If you’re not paying attention and you miss the fact that you caused an upset, you have now caused a second upset.

This could require an additional apology.

One of the worst apologies is “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Please don’t ever say this. It basically means, ‘I feel bad that you feel bad,’ which translates into, ‘don’t make me feel bad.’ This is NOT an acknowledgement that you have done harm to someone, which is what an apology is supposed to be.

2. Allow them to express themselves and listen – “you said you were doing laundry yesterday! I needed it clean for today!”

3. Take full responsibility – “I did say that.

I intended to do laundry because you needed your uniform for today but then I forgot.”

4. Say the apology – “I’m sorry I didn’t do what I said I would and I let you down.”

5. Ask how to make amends – “Is there a way I can make this better for you?”

6. Commit to your promise to make amends and follow through.

Lastly, an apology is not an agreement that your teenager will be pleased with you or offer forgiveness. If they continue to feel hard done by, that is the truth of their experience. It’s not their job to make you feel better about a mistake you made.

Relationships are tricky, but a solid apology is a tool you can focus on to work through conflict.

FERNIEFIX.COM

29

Recreation and Outdoor Life

ROLLING DOWNHILL AT FERNIE ALPINE RESORT

Deer Trail

by KAREN PEPPER SUMMER in Fernie and mountain biking go hand in hand. As the snow melts, bikes of all shapes and sizes appear in droves on the streets and trails. The mountain biking here is plentiful and diverse, from familyfriendly flowy trails to technical cross country, downhill, and big-air flow trails.

Fernie Alpine Resort’s Bike Park includes one chairlift that will get you up the mountain without breaking a sweat and allows you to get in multiple downhill laps in during the day. This summer, the Elk Chairlift will operate daily allowing bikers access to the majority of the resort trails, and caters to novice, intermediate and advanced riders. You’ll notice a number of changes at the resort this summer to keep guests and staff healthy and safe -

Mountain biking at FAR, Nick Nault Photo/FAR

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please read and follow signs, and follow instructions from staff. Most of all - be kind, calm, and patient, and enjoy the fresh mountain air!

This month, we will highlight a trail suited to the novice rider - Deer Trail. For details on all 34 trails, please visit skifernie.com

Novice - Deer Trail Style - Freeride Distance / Elevation - 2419 metres / 283 metre descent From the top of the Elk Chairlift, ride past the Bear’s Den area, following the signs to the entrance to Deer Trail. The first section is a wide connector trail with a fairly gentle grade, taking you to an access style road which traverses the lower mountain. Follow the road, and after passing under the Deer Chair, you reach the fun stuff. The trail becomes a wide, machine-made flow trail that meanders through the forest with small berms and rollers. The final section pops out into the open, and then into one last small tree island to finish.

Recreation and Outdoor Life

HITTING THE TRAILS

Recreation and Outdoor Life

FERNIE SCAVENGER HUNT

Mount Proctor Hike

The Goat on Gorby

by JULIE KELLY, FTA

by WES ROBINSON-SHAW SUMMER is officially here, the trails are clear of snow and more terrain and access to outdoor spaces is now available to us!

This month, we challenge you to find the Goat donation bin located at the beginning of Old Goat, one of Fernie’s oldest and most cherished mountain bike trails. Find the box this July and remember to head to Edge of the World to get your sticker!

THE Fernie Trails Alliance (FTA) has been focusing on a number of key initiatives including Trail Work Procedures, COVID Procedures and communications.

We have developed an easy to use online trail work application form and encourage you to share your ideas for a new trail or a significant change to an existing trail.

Significant changes include anything other than deadfall or debris clearing or minor drainage repairs. We want to make sure these ideas get proper approval from the Trails and Maintenance Committee, FTA board of directors and landowner.

During these challenging times we have been working hard to resume volunteer work parties, while following the proper COVID protocols. All individuals who attend a work party are required to fill out a questionnaire and waiver online prior to attending. Every individual will be recorded in our database each time a work party is attended.

It’s a busy time of year, so how do you keep on top of all of the information? A great way to keep in the loop is to sign up for the e-newsletter by e-mailing manager@fernietrailsallliance.com.You

Mt. Proctor view. Krista Turcasso Photo can also follow the FTA on Facebook and Instagram and be sure to tag us to show us your favourite way to enjoy the trails.

For the most up to date trail conditions please go to Trail Forks.

Talking about trails, thanks to the Columbia Basin Trust Trail Enhancement Grant the Mount Proctor Hike has been given a lot of love! Enjoy improved signage, new picnic tables, drainage work and more!

Hike of the Month: Mount Proctor Time: 8-10 hours round trip Distance: 16.9 km loop Difficulty: Black This is an epic hike that you will want to start early to complete the full loop. Start at the Fernie Visitor Information Centre following the Fairy Creek Trail. Follow the signs as you climb up to the top of Swine Flu enjoying the views and maybe taking a breather on the bench. This is a good turn around point if you are not up for the entire hike. If you are keen, continue climbing the switchbacks along the ridgeline and take the views from the top before following the trail down through the valley between the Three Sisters and Proctor.

2. The Goat on Gorby Trail Park at the Gorby Bridge parking lot just past Mount Fernie Provincial Park. Hike, bike or run over the Gorby Bridge and veer left onto Gorby Trail. Stay on Gorby Trail for about one km, until you reach the goat located at the Old Goat trailhead.

If you want an interesting addition to this adventure continue along Gorby until you reach the next trail on the left which will lead to an amazing giant cedar tree!

These are all two-way trails so make sure you make lots of noise to let other trail users and wildlife know you are coming.

Always follow the rules of the trail, wear proper safety attire and make sure your bike is in good working order. Trail maps are available for free on the Trailforks app, with additional descriptions and directions to trailheads. Download it before you go. Remember these trails are built and maintained by a volunteer organization so please feel free to leave a donation in one of the custom FTA donation boxes. And don’t forget to have fun!

To enter the grand prize draw for completing all four challenges email proof of completion to wesrobinsonshaw@ icloud.com or johnnypshaw@hotmail. com.

FERNIEFIX.COM

31

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Health and Lifestyle

BARK BREAK

A Pain In The Neck

by VAL LANTHIER YOU may recognize this trio as they are familiar faces from the BARKSiDE staff.

Scout is the Border Collie and he’s fast and just as obsessed with sticks and toys as you would expect him to be. Nash is the German Shepherd and he’s a lovely, loyal boy who will do almost anything for you.

And River is the Thai looking fellow from, you guessed it, the streets of Thailand. He’s come a long way and he’s settling into his new lifestyle more easily than one might think. He’s living it up as a real explorer by day and extreme cuddler by night, or really any moment he’s not sniffing something.

They are an adventurous crew who, as you can tell, love to wander off the beaten path.

Afterall, who needs a trail when you’ve got endless fields, forests, hills, lakes and mountains in your backyard?

If you look closely, River is wearing a harness and is tethered on leash. It’s much safer to give him some restrained freedom by using his harness than it is to use his collar. We have defaulted to handling dogs by their collars, and understandably so as it’s what they are wearing most of the time, we keep them identified and it’s naturally the easiest area to use when you need to hold on to them. But when you really think about it, the neck is a very sensitive body part and we already know that.

We’ve all had those times where you hit your head while getting up and a sharp pain with a burning sensation takes over the side of your neck for a few seconds.

Or you wake up in the morning with a kink and suddenly you can only look in one direction for the day. For anyone who has unfortunately had even a minor neck injury, they know how painful it can be and the repercussions of other symptoms like back pain, compensation and tingling in the hands and arms, for

Cass Heather Photo example. Recovery is long and often a certain amount of damage is permanent.

It doesn’t take much for the neck to feel discomfort because, again, the neck is sensitive. It’s no different for dogs and yet we unintentionally handle them by one of the most delicate body parts.

A dog leashed to its collar will inevitably pull and by instinct we correct it, usually by inadvertently jerking. They strain, they cough, they gag, they get guided in all directions and it’s certain they feel discomfort, even if they don’t pull all the time or if we are gentle about it.

Remember, it doesn’t take much and furthermore, the size and strength of a dog is irrelevant to being exempt from the impact.

None of us want our dogs to be uncomfortable after all and yet they

can’t tell us so we just go on without knowing.Veterinarians are starting to suggest that neck injuries could be contributing to certain symptoms and even misinterpretation. For example, the potential link between hypothyroidism and damage to the thyroid gland from collar pressure. Or when dogs show signs of allergies, like excessive scratching or mouthing at their paws, perhaps these are caused by after effects of neck injuries like muscle tightness along the spine creating pain and tingling feelings in the extremities.

More people are realizing that choosing to handle your dog using a harness is a better alternative to a collar. Sometimes it just takes us focusing on our habits to reevaluate and notice that there is a better way.

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Recreation and Outdoor Life

FAMILY WELLNESS

Finding Focus in Your Life (and Health)

by DR TAINA TURCASSO, ND RM THE last few months have been unprecedented for all of us and while it has been a time of great uncertainty, fear, and for many, loss, it has also presented us all with opportunity. Opportunity to examine our lives and really consider the possibility for change. Many of us are being forced to consider new careers, new homes, new towns, and even new relationships but perhaps it would be useful for all of us to realize that we are all capable of this scope of change at any time. Maybe the thing you want to change is your job, maybe you want to downsize your home, maybe you feel like you have grown beyond your current relationship, and maybe you really want to work on your health; you are capable of ALL of it. We can all do something different, be with someone different, live somewhere different, and achieve a different level of health. The question is, where do you start and how?

For me personally, the pandemic has given me a lot of time to think about the fact that there is never a “perfect time” for something and for me, the something I had been planning and waiting for the “perfect time” to show up for was a move to Fernie to start a midwifery/N.D. practice. It didn’t even occur to me that moving sooner was a possibility until after several conversations with different family members and a change in my personal circumstances, but once it did, I was able to make a plan for finances, licensure, etc., and set the wheels in motion leading me to move to Fernie in mid-May with plans to start up a practice by the end of the year. What does this have to do with you? Well, so many of us are going through life distracted and seemingly satisfied with the status quo and feeling like it is impossible to make any meaningful changes until we are forced to. None of us knows how long this new normal is going

What is it that you have been waiting to do? What are you waiting for? Make a list, journal, draw pictures, put together a vision board of magazine cutouts – whatever works to get it on paper in a way that is meaningful for you.

The next step is to determine what the steps would be to achieve your goal. If you are contemplating including more plantbased foods in your diet or eating more whole foods, make a shopping list and seek out some resources for recipe ideas from your friends or online. If you are looking into a new job or career, start looking at what continuing your education would involve, work on your resume, and have V. Croome Photo a look at postings online to get a sense of what might be available. Talk to the people in your life about your plans because not “We can all do only are they a wealth of information but something different, talking about your goals tends to make the path to achieving those goals a little clearer be with someone while providing some accountability.

different, live somewhere different, and achieve a different level of health. The question is, where do you start and how?”

If you are forced into change as a result of outside circumstances, it can be scarier than making the choice to make the change on your own but that doesn’t mean that you are any less capable of doing so. That being said, this is a trying time for many people and it’s ok if it’s all you can do to just get through it with your health, your family fed, clothed, and sheltered, and your bills paid…or even less than that. to last so there is no sense in waiting until it There will likely be a healthcare crisis in is over to make some plans for your future. the coming months and years as a result of this pandemic, with mental health at the The first step is trying to figure out what forefront so even if you do nothing else, it is that you want to change. Are you take the time to check in with your own contemplating a new job? Do you want mental health and that of those around you to focus on an aspect of your health such regularly and try to focus on activities (and as your diet or implement a new fitness foods) that promote optimal mental health. regime? Now might not be the time to If you need help, please ask for it. plan a long-distance move or find a new job but that doesn’t mean that you can’t Find your focus and stay safe out there! dream and start making plans for the future.

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Recreation and Outdoor Life

FERNIE MOUNTAIN MAMAS

Trust and Focus

by YVONNE PREST HAVE you ever entered your kitchen and suddenly forgotten why you are there? It is because the brain can only focus on so much information at once and a location change forces your mind to shed data to make space for the new environment. It’s so interesting.

So how do we, as Mamas and Papas, maintain focus on our children, our creativity and our professions all at once? I think that one way we can recalibrate and focus is by reaching out to the village. By trusting in others and asking for help when we need it. This week, I had the privilege of catching up with local artist and member of Shred Kelly, Sage McBride, to see what she does to maintain a work, life and mamahood balance. By the way, has anyone seen my keys?

harder than performing during pregnancy as I was much more sleep deprived. I remember looking out into the crowd and spotting a sea of mothers at the all ages show. I was in total awe that everyone had shared this experience. Working and being a mother was harder than I had imagined. All of that aside, the benefit of Tim and I being in a band together is that we get to bring our daughter with us and spend most days together as a family.

How do you stay focused or split your focus as a mom and artist?

Since becoming a mom, it is incredibly difficult to stay focused on one thingmy attention is always being drawn back to parenting or tasks around the house.

Tim and I take turns being engaged with Submitted Photo Murphy while the other can accomplish would summon up all of my energy and What tips would you give to other their work. Being outside really helps me parents striving to find a happy work/ put it into my performance. Towards the reset and refocus. I prioritize time outside end of my pregnancy, I loved performing life balance? and get out for a walk regardless of how live. I loved bouncing around on stage with much else I need to get done. A good to-do For us, it was definitely stressful to leave a big belly and sharing that experience with list is also helpful to organize my thoughts Murphy with other people at first, but by Murphy before she was born. And now, I and accomplish what I can. trusting in the people we chose to spend am grateful that she is involved and that she time with her, we gained confidence and What are Shred Kelly’s upcoming tour gets to see what we do for work. I hope built a strong support system. From family, plans, virtual and otherwise? that exposure to music and travel will give to friends, to caregivers, trust is key in being her a rich life, full of experiences.

We released our latest album on June 19, able to split your focus and spend time on 2020. So we’ll be promoting new tunes and What are some of the benefits and your craft. Guilt faded away as I knew my spreading them online. We also have some challenges of having Murphy with you child was having a great day with someone live streamed concerts planned this summer on the road? who loves her as much as we do. so check back on our website, shredkelly.

Touring with Murphy has its challenges.

What was it like touring and com, for information about where and She has been incredibly wonderful to travel when. Hopefully we’ll also be able to play performing whilst pregnant and then with but I do have a lot of mom guilt with a newborn? some in-person shows with limited capacity whenever I leave her. Bringing help on the soon. We miss playing live!

I really struggled touring in the first three road, either a friend or a nanny was the months of pregnancy. The smell of barbecue best decision for us. It was great to have Your fans miss it too. Thank you for your was unbearable. All I wanted to do was sage advice. Sorry… I had to. steady help who also knew her routines. I drink chocolate milk and eat skittles. remember playing Fernie Stoke Fest, five Happy focusing!

Performing was strangely not as hard, I weeks after she was born, and it was way

Health and Lifestyle

ELEMENTS OF MOVEMENT

Sun’s Out, Guns Out

by MADDY ALARIC JULY is my second favourite month. Flip flops, ice cream, BBQ’s and river floats. It’s also the month before my birthday (but who’s counting?). Of the twelve months in the year, I feel July’s weather is the one to take advantage of. Attempting to do most of my physical activity outdoors becomes rather easy with help of great weather and warm temperatures. Fitness friends and I often use the term ‘Sun’s Out, Guns Out’ when planning workouts during the summer months and find the term incredibly fitting as they often entail short bursts of high intensity work combined with slower strength focused movements.

Incorporating these into our routine, ranging between two and four days a week,

is a nice way to keep balance in the body.

Building strength, while elevating stamina and speed, often relaying over to other sports such as biking or running.

on this portion. Start slow and gradually increase time or speed when the body feels ready. There is no rush and it needs to be fun.

I can say with full confidence that these workouts have increased my muscle mass while improving mountain biking ability.

One thing to keep in mind is rest between sets. This is extremely important if the weights you are using happen to be on the heavier side or you are coming back from an injury. Essentially, taking adequate amounts of time between to ensure quality movement patterns that are performed safely. Lastly, keep in mind that the running and burpees are meant to simply elevate the heart rate. Do not go to total exhaustion

Below are four workouts I thought you may enjoy. Consider taking them outside onto your street or park nearby. Oh and for the record, it’s not weird to do a workout in public. If you think you might feel a little awkward the first few times, grab a friend or two, space yourselves and get ready to hustle. * This month will require a single or pair of dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbag or heavy pack. Get creative in what you could use at home if you don’t have any of the above.

Lateral hops

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

4 rounds:

Every 5 min for 25 minutes (5 rounds)

4 rounds

5 rounds

• 20 burpees

•100m run/jog/ fast paced walk or 30s of low step ups/ toe taps.

• 20 push up pass throughs * place object beside you, do push up and pull object through to other side of body

• 400m run/jog/fast walk or 2 min of low step ups/toe taps.

• 400m run/ jog/fast paced walk. * if you are unable to run, sub 2 min of low step ups or toe taps.

• 20 push ups.

• 30 plank opposite knee to elbow.

Rest 2 min between sets.

• 12 tricep extensions with dumbbells.

• 20 bicep curls

• 15 bicep curls.

• 15 front raises

• 12 dips off a bench/box/chair

• 200m run/jog/fast paced walk or 1 min of low step ups/toe taps.

• 30 mountain climbers

• 12 bent over rows.

• 12 strict press.

• 12 curls.

• 12 front squats.

Rest 2 min between sets.

Rest 2 min between sets.

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Health and Lifestyle

THIS IS LIFE

Be Uncomfortable

by TYLA CHARBONNEAU BE uncomfortable because that is where the growth is.

or stress in our minds and bodies, to have a conversation with ourselves. To think about how we treat others, how we treat ourselves, what we might need more of, or less of in our lives. It also requires us to ask tough questions about what we believe in. Sometimes we need to do a values check. This involves stating our values and then assessing if we are living consistently with these values or if they are in conflict.

Check out this link for a helpful list of values www.cnvc.org/training/resource/ needs-inventory.

We do not develop six packs or becomes a marathon runners without sore muscles along the way. Similarly, we cannot gain strength in our mental health without processing pain, sadness, and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. The past few months of 2020 have certainly prompted discomfort as we learned to live in new ways and sat with our thoughts and feelings about the world and the humans who inhabit it. It has also encouraged us to look at our belief systems and biases to see which side of important issues we fall on whether it is about healthcare, politics, following regulations, or racism.

When I was in grad school a supervisor taught me that even without speaking I show my personal judgements through what I wear, how I take care of myself, my skin colour, my gender, and how I present myself. He said as humans we all have judgment, the key is to be aware of it, review our biases regularly, and engage in self-reflection about these biases and how they show up in our lives. As a psychologist one of my jobs is to remain as neutral as I can and to encourage others to reflect and make their own choices and decisions about important topics and express these ideas in effective and respectful ways.

Self-reflection is a tool we can use in times of uncertainty, confusion, sadness, or anxiety as a way to check in and become more attuned with our thoughts, behaviours, and feelings. It can increase our capacity for empathy, emotional intelligence, improve our relationships and decision-making capacity, and help us become more aligned with our values.

V. Croome Photo

“The past few months of 2020 have certainly prompted discomfort as we learned to live in new ways and sat with our thoughts and feelings about the world and the humans who inhabit it.�

Through self-reflection, we can become focused on and uncomfortable with our own bias and beliefs and how they influence our behaviours.

If in this reflection you come across a values-conflict, own it. Own it, explore where it stems from and how it serves you in your present life. After that consider if you need to change some of your behaviours or relationships to once again reflect your values. Is an apology needed, do you need to engage in advocacy, are difficult conversations with others or promises to yourself required?

We as humans are opinionated, we can speak without thinking or act in ways that we regret. In these moments, shaming ourselves or others is unhelpful and usually makes the situation far worse. Taking time to own our actions, thinking about what is going on within us that prompted the behaviour, and focusing on finding consistency between our values and our actions can make a difference in our lives and those around us. If you find yourself in a conversation with and you notice discomfort or the need to defend, take a moment and reflect. This feeling might be a signal that something within you needs to be addressed.

This practice requires us to set aside time each day, or when we noticed discomfort FERNIEFIX.COM

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Bits and Bytes

ASTROLOGY

July 2020

by ASHLEY KRISTINA SATURN, Pluto, Jupiter, and Pallas continue to travel together in the sky, in retrograde motion, through the late degrees of Capricorn, until October. The Full Moon and Lunar eclipse of July 4 also happens in conjunction to this energy, with Jupiter and Pluto sitting at the exact same degree in the sky. This is an intense time! I will refer to it as “The Big Five” as each person will feel this energy a little bit differently. This is the third eclipse this month and eclipse energy propels for about six months. Mercury is also retrograde in the sky, travelling close to the sun in Cancer until July 12.Venus is now rising as the morning star.

Several major alignments happen (again) this month which is so huge that it’s nearly impossible to write about/predict. The big energy planets: Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter are causing this time on earth. On July 13/14 the Sun opposes Jupiter, July 15 the Sun opposes Pluto and July 20, the Sun opposes Saturn with a new moon (so the moon is also opposite Saturn).

your subconscious questions you wish to know.

Gemini

The first three weeks are polarized into two of your heavier zodiac houses: security which means home, and income and “The Big Five” sit in the arena of deep transformation. This is a clearing and purification time for you. Cord-cutting and energetic cleansing is recommended.

Cancer

Happy birthday Cancer.Your biggest focus is on yourself, with the polarization of “The Big Five” occurring in your house of partnership. It’s you vs the other with your sense of self based on this interaction this month. It has a capacity to be many things: happy and expansive and also dark and restrictive. There is a sense of completion.

Leo

of friends and the community. Lots of energy is in your home sphere, where “The Big Five” sit.

Scorpio

A lot of physical fitness and a good health routine is recommended this month. “The Big Five” occur in your House Three of Communication so there is a lot of energy around how you communicate, your words are powerful. Good supportive energy occurs in your job/career towards the end of the month.

Sagittarius

“The Big Five” energy sits with your finances and security, which is typically the home, bank account, and investments. The next six months are a good time to make the moves you need to with regards to these places. Creativity is a good outlet for you this month.

This is an inward time for you with your physical health a top priority. Routine is important. Are you feeling aligned in how you use your time? Your job/career might change.You have an internal push for extra education and wisdom and will feel more like your sunshine-self after July 22. Happy birthday.

Capricorn

Individual character is your theme! Polarity between home life and career is intensified for you and many aspects of work and the career will be revisited with a wide range of potentials, including completion. What matters is that you express yourself to the outside world the way you believe yourself to be.

Virgo

Aquarius

Taurus

Libra

There is a massive portal with cleansing and purification.Virtue is very important, as well as faith.

Aries

The first two weeks of the month are best spent in a meditative place as lots of wisdom will be available to you, which is then best communicated to others. Pay attention to your dreams.You can even ask

Focus on groups of people/friends and the community, balanced with energy toward your partnership. It will be an inward and meditative time for you towards the end of the month. “The Big Five” for you occurs in your arena of fun and creativity, expression of self, romance and children.

Communication at your job/career is a focus however miscommunication can occur when Mercury is retrograde so this is important to note. The third week of July is best to communicate clearly and by the last week, there will be more focus on groups

The planet energy is really on your sense of self and your truth: any part of you that is not truly “you” is being peeled away over the next six months and it may feel very vulnerable.Your partnership and your home are the best places to spend your energy.

A theme of routine, with a focus on communication is where the planets sit for you.Your deep subconscious is communicating strongly which often is in the dream world.You are highly intuitive at this time.

Pisces

Your group of friends or community might be changing at this time and your energy is spent wisely focused on building your own security while also having fun and being creative. Work and routine will become important in your life towards the end of the month.

Bits and Bytes

THE ANSWER GUY

WiFi Calling

by KEVIN MCISAAC WHILE most of us haven’t been travelling much lately, many of us have occasion to be out of our normal calling area and need to make calls. Normally, not a big deal, but what if you have to make a bunch of long-distance calls? This happened to someone I know a month or so ago. They were stuck somewhere but needed to continue making calls related to their work.

This would have added up to many, many dollars of long-distance. What to do? WiFi calling is the answer.

Android

What is WiFi calling? It’s where you make and receive calls using a WiFi connection instead of a cellular connection. This can be helpful, as in the situation I described above, but it also can come in handy if you happen to be in a spot where your cellular connection is poor or non-existent, but you have WiFi.

• Enter your Emergency 911 Address

The details of the cost to you using WiFi calling are specific to your provider, but in general, they’re probably similar to the rules imposed by Telus, which means that the calls do not use data, nor incur longdistance costs, but do subtract from your monthly calling minutes.

WiFi calling is usually disabled by default, so you’ll have to enable it. Here’s how to do it on your iPhone or Android phone with Telus. It will be similar to most providers.

iPhone • Open your iPhone Settings • Select Phone • Select Wi-Fi Calling • You will need to read and accept the WiFi Calling Terms and Conditions • Enter your Emergency 911 Address

• Open Phone > Settings • Select Call Settings • Turn on Wi-Fi Calling • Enter your phone number.You will be sent a text message with a 6 digit onetime passcode * • Enter the 6 digit one-time passcode * • You will need to read and accept the Wi-Fi Calling Terms and Conditions

5

7 6 9 10 50 3 8 7 7 2 4 1 6 18 • Close your browser

Take note of the Emergency 911 Address entry. This is a challenge with WiFi calling.

The telephone company can normally pin

down your location by using the cell tower that you’re connecting to but using WiFi calling they cannot. This means that during a 911 call if you can’t say your address to the operator they will not be able to locate you. For this reason, you should update this whenever you start using WiFi calling.

In case you’re wondering, yes, other people can also call you and they don’t have to have WiFi calling enabled. Regular calls from other phones work as they normally do.

There typically is no cost to enable WiFi calling, so there’s little reason not to enable it, but as always check your cell provider’s information page first. And of course, you do have to keep track of your minutes the same as you normally do.

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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 bike wheel. Can you find it?

Name the Location

Answers Last Month

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

Library bench, Funky Goat, Kootenay Learning Centre, Fernie Cardlock

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Your Happy Place is Still Here

Dear friends, we want you to know that we are thinking of you and are reshaping our business to keep everyone safe while still providing amazing experiences. Trails, unique culinary offerings, spa and amazing mountain scenery are all on the menu this summer. Please visit our website for information on what we are doing to provide a safe environment and details on the great products we will be offering.

See you soon!

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