Fernie Fix June 2022

JUNE 2022 | ISSUE 186

THE

light

ISSUE

IN THIS ISSUE: Light Issue Special Feature on one of our closest neighbours, the town of Kimberley, by Shona Rubens. Feature Artist Todd Weselake on his latest venture, Wings Above the Rocks. Feature Resident Andrea Reed discusses her journey to coaching the Fernie Volleyball Club U18 team and her work with the Elk Valley PEACE program, and rediscover your passions with Tyla Charbonneau.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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JUNE 2022 | ISSUE 186

THE

light

ISSUE

EDITOR’S FIX p7 THE LIGHT ISSUE SPECIAL FEATURE p9 Light by Shona Rubens

BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY p11 Business News Events Are Back and So Is Fernie’s Vibrancy by Brad Parsell

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT p16 Feature Artist - Todd Weselake ArtBeat – A Trick of the Light by Michael Hepher At Peace and Yet on Fire – Stinging Retreat by Sadie Rosgen Rental Fix – The Harder They Fall by Andrew Vallance

COMMUNITY p24 Feature Resident – Andrea Reed City Corner – Floods and Frustration by Ange Qualizza Science and Everyday Life - The Science of Personality Types by Fred Gietz At the Ground Level – Lightening the River Load by Sylvia Ayers, illustrated by Sarah Pullen

EVENTS CALENDAR p29 HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE p37 Cold-Climate Gardening - Direct Seeding vs Starting Indoors by Ashley Lortscher Family Wellness – Managing Stress Through Art by Dr. Taina Turcasso This is Life – Rediscovering Your Passions by Tyla Charbonneau

BITS AND BYTES p45 The Answer Guy – Windows Restore Recovery by Kevin McIsaac Astrology – June 2022 by Ashley Kristina Through the Lens – Light Issue Photo Gallery The Social Page

FERNIE FUN p54 The Last Page

COVER: Slowing down and stopping to enjoy the sunsets when they pop.

Photo by Matt Kuhn, @mkuhnphoto THIS PAGE: First Light.

Photo by Aaron Hagen Beartooth Media, @beartooth.media FERNIEFIX.COM

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Editor’s Fix

By Krista Turcasso, Editor Over the last couple of months, I have had multiple dreams of being with my Nana. (The most recent the night before writing this.) She was my best friend and passed away seven years ago April 1. I was expecting my second daughter at the time, whose due date was mid-April but we would wait an extra two weeks before meeting her, as I became extremely ill after my Nana’s passing with a chest infection.

These dreams and recent losses both in our community and within our family have resulted in me ruminating on this time. What has become most apparent is my withdrawal… from everything. Myself,

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

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

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

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

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.

FRED GIETZ is a self-professed science nerd and lover of all things outside.

my family, my friends, and worst of all, my Nana. I would sit with her for hours, I would hold her hand, but I could not say anything. I think it must have been a form of self-preservation. I knew I was on the edge of falling into pieces.

Seven years later, I remember what my acupuncturist said to me. That I would not go into labour until I could process the grief. In Chinese medicine, we hold grief in our lungs. I also recall one of my favourite quotes from Rumi, “The wound is where the Light enters you.”

I was very fortunate at the time that my partner organized for me to travel to the Cranbrook hospital so I could tell my Nana that if we had a girl, we would call her Maria. It was the last time I saw her in person, she squeezed my hand. I let some light in.

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.

SHONA RUBENS is a science by day, adventure by weekend kinda gal. Calling Kimberley, BC home, she wonders and wanders in the natural world around her. Her background as an Olympic downhill skier keeps her searching for

The last couple of years have been riddled with loss, confusion, division and challenges, both individually and as a community, and now we have the opportunity to transition and to receive positivity, change, love, togetherness. Let’s celebrate and let that light in, and hey - if it takes a little help from a friend, that’s okay!

In the Fernie Fix - Summer Guide 2022 “Cool Off This Summer: Swimming Holes Near Fernie” we included Grave Lake. The access road is often an active logging road so please take precautions and have proper communication gear to ensure you and your party are safe. Additionally, Grave Lake has a $5/day fee for a boat launch and campsite camping fees are $25/night.

As with any backcountry exploration, know before you go. Check status of roads as many are used for logging, or were impacted by recent flooding.

her next rush and thankfully the Kootenays have an eternal supply.

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.

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

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

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THE LIGHT ISSUE SPECIAL FEATURE

Light

by SHONA RUBENS I see the single set of tracks perfectly from my living room. The Kootenay sunlight hitting them at just the right angle to define the perfect arc of the left and rights.

Any other winter this sight would be rare, Boundary run is normally battered by travelling ski bums, visiting families and seasoned locals alike. This year is different.

This year, the fluffy front side powder of Kimberley Alpine Resort is visited only by the hardy folk who use their two feet and a heartbeat to get to the top. When the main quad was burned down the day after opening day, it was like lemon juice on a wound that was healing but still open. The entire front side of the mountain rendered inaccessible to lift access skiers. Coming into winter, the town of Kimberley, as with most tourist centric towns was certain it was reaching the light at the end of the tunnel. This winter would be the winter where the tides turned, the tourists would return, powder would be slayed, and all would be right with the world.You could almost hear the collective sigh as the town deflated in reaction to not just the loss of the quad due to someone who is likely a pouty sore loser, but also a second arson which took the local gymnastics centre only a week prior.

Rumours flew, fingers pointed, and after nearly two years of the raging global pandemic, no one would have been surprised to see flaming torches and pitch forks. But thankfully, that’s not how this story ends.

The light in the darkness started almost immediately, words of kindness and compassion on social media and in daily conversations. The light grew brighter as local people and workers came together to salvage a torn business. Townsfolk going

Photo Courtesy of Kimberley Alpine Resort

“As this winter fades into spring, the memories we are left with have nothing to do with what we’ve lost.” out and about spending their hard -earned money on local business to help keep them afloat.

The winter passed and the town stayed in high spirits. Neighbouring towns pitched in their support, skiers of all ages surprised themselves by making the twenty-minute hike to the backside and locals felt like they got a tiny slice of memories of days gone by as they lapped the quiet chairs.

The season culminated in the ultimate rally cry. Thousands of social media posts and online votes resulted in the local ski team winning a Mackenzie Investments competition garnering them $50,000 for

support of their programs. A few weeks later, another online competition by CBC identified Kimberley as BCs best small town. Finally, just last month, local legend and talented musician Heather Gemmel was selected to be a part of CBCs Spotlight Search with her new song “North Star is Burning” - a tribute to our town after the destruction of the quad.

As this winter fades into spring, the memories we are left with have nothing to do with what we’ve lost. We will take with us the pride we felt as we crested the last rise on the hike to the backside Tamarak Chair, the warmth in our heart as we listen to visitors telling us they just had to come and see what all the fuss was about, and the comfort of knowing that long before a tragic fire put us in the public eye, the light from our town has been warming those that call Kimberley home for decades.

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Business in the Valley

BUSINESS NEWS

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CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles is pleased to welcome Mariah Runions to their team.

Ride dusk to dawn in the name of mental health and suicide awareness in the Elk Valley. The Summer Solstice Ride for Mental Health is back for its 3rd annual, on June 18, shining a light on creating conversation, talking openly about mental health and breaking the stigma all while building awareness and relationships in our community.

The first time Mariah visited Fernie in 2003 she thought, “This is it! This is the place I’ve been looking for! I’m going to have a family here, and a white picket fence.”

19 years later, Mariah is still here with her husband raising three girls and could not be happier.

Mariah spends her evenings teaching dance classes and coaching soccer, helping with homework, and walking her two pups.

Mariah’s love for connection with people will make her a great asset to the CENTURY 21 Mountain Lifestyles team!

If you’re considering buying or selling in the Elk Valley, Mariah would be thrilled to assist you in the next steps of your journey!

To find out more about how Mariah can help you, please reach out to her at mariah@c21fernie.ca or give her a call at 250-430-7732.

The event has evolved to be more inclusive to engage all community members to come out and enjoy being active in the outdoors, whatever that looks like to each person.

This year is about choosing your own adventure!

This five-stage event offers something for all, including a social stage at Station Square with live music and an opportunity for connection and meaningful conversations.

Participate in as much or as little as you like! All stages start and end at Station Square in downtown Fernie.

Submitted Photo

Fernie Brewing Co. 26 Manitou Rd 250-423-7797 Despite a rollercoaster of a spring, it’s time for the return of Fernie Brewing Co.’s annual Trail to Ale Challenge.

FBC’s Trail to Ale is a popular and fun, mountain and beer-filled Fernie adventure.

And, while a tough day on the trails awaits, the views, glory and cold beer is worth every pedal stroke or step.

The Challenge consists of bagging three iconic Fernie peaks, on bike or foot in any order, within a 24hr period. Open to bikers, runners or hikers, you have to get to the top of Hyperventilation, Project 9 and Swine Flu, within the 24hr time limit – showing timestamped selfies to the FBC Tasting Room staff for a sweet sticker and complimentary beer.

Tentative launch date is June 1, but follow @FernieBrewingCo for their official 2022 launch.

Registration is by donation.

Checkout evstf.ca for all event details and to register.

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Monday Jam nights Tuesday Karaoke nights Friday Happy & Appy Hour Regular live music

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Business in the Valley

BUSINESS NEWS

UNICORN CLUB Inspire a love for horses in our fun and educational horsemanship/riding program for kids!

Submitted Photo

Submitted Photo LOCATED AT TRIT-TROT FARMS 4991 Hwy 3, Fernie, BC Contact: Jennifer Schmidt at 250-278-2147 www.unicornclubfernie.ca

What we do!

We are a non-profit organization that takes seniors and less abled individuals for bike rides on special bikes called Trishaw’s.

Sign up to be a passenger... it’s free!

OR Join the team and volunteer to become a pilot for CWA today!

Call/text us at 250-278-9773 or email cyclingwithoutagefernie@gmail.com cyclingwithoutagefernie.bike

Fernie Wellness Collective 1301 7th Ave 778-519-5287 Fernie Wellness Collective is a locally owned and operated, multidisciplinary health and wellness clinic in Fernie, formerly Kootenay Chiropractic and Sports Performance. Founded by Dr. Stephanie Bryant, Fernie Wellness Co is a team of certified holistic health and wellness practitioners working collectively under one roof to address all aspects of health. Their team has specialties in athletic performance, prenatal and postpartum care, as well as holistic care for humans of all ages. They know that Fernie can be a place of healing and rejuvenation and want to provide a space where people may come to be supported by a team of practitioners while they achieve true health and healing of their own.

Fernie Wellness Co offers chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, and coaching, however, are still growing their team.Visit ferniewellnessco.com for more info or call directly.

Mason’s Mechanical mason.bret@gmail.com 250-430-1985 Bret Mason, owner and operator of Mason Mechanical, has been running this business since 2017, and this spring finally decided to transition to full time in 2022.

Mason’s Mechanical specializes in residential/commercial HVAC (heating, cooling, and air conditioning) and refrigeration, servicing the Elk Valley and South Country areas. With many new innovations in the HVAC industry including heat pumps, ductless AC units, hydronic cooling and highly energy efficient products, customers can find several options to improve home comfort.

Bret is always happy to discuss these options and to find the best solutions for his clients.

“I take pride in being a Fernie resident and I actually answer the phone when it rings.”

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TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

Events Are Back and So Is Fernie’s Vibrancy Explore our ever growing BC Wine Selection

by BRAD PARSELL Summer has finally arrived y’all! And unlike the past two summers, this year we can dare to look forward to a full-scale return of Fernie’s signature festivals, events, races, and activities. Events are such a key part of what makes our mountain town so vibrant, and it’s been tough to see many of them sidelined or significantly scaled down for years on account of the pandemic. But it seems the light has finally appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Events are a significant part of our economic development as a community.

They add to our social and economic fabric by bringing the community together, attracting visitors from outside the region, celebrating local talent, raising money and awareness for local groups/causes, and ideally encouraging spending at local businesses and vendors. They engender a positive community spirit, and most of all – they’re just a lot of fun!

Cheers to another epic summer in Fernie!

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This summer sees the return of the Wednesday Night Socials in Station Square after a bit of a false start last summer. The Wapiti Music Festival returns in 2022 to celebrate its tenth instalment after being cancelled for the past two years. This year Wapiti has a new home in James White Park with a killer line-up and tickets selling super-fast at the time of writing. There is every chance it is sold out by now – demonstrating the pent-up demand for festivals and events. The Elk Valley Pride Festival is back from September 21 through 25, featuring the Spectrum Arts Festival with live music on the lawn of City Hall.

The Fernie Chautauqua fall festival is also looking to return properly in September, too. The Shop Local Holiday Kickoff and

Wednesday Night Social | V. Croome Photo

“[Events] engender a positive community spirit, and most of all – they’re just a lot of fun!”

Light Up the Night will return to kick off the festive season with a bang in late November. Race enthusiasts also have plenty to look forward to. The Fernie Gravel Grind is back this month. The Elk Valley Ultra, Single Track 6, and the Lone Wolf are all slated to go this year as well – among others.

By no means is this an exhaustive list of events coming up – I don’t have enough ink for them all! Be sure to head to tourismfernie.com/events to see all the amazing events (both old and new) returning to our community. Mark your calendars, spread the word, and I’ll see you out there in the sunshine!

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Arts and Entertainment

FEATURE ARTIST

TODD WESELAKE I began Raven Eye Photography in the early 2000’s, and over time grew it into a photography conglomerate. Operating Raven Eye Photography has allowed me to discover many parts of the world, travelling to over 30 countries covering action sports, adventure races, tourism jobs and high-end commercial work.

From peaks to valleys, jungles to mega

cities, I developed a creative sense of photography that is truly a product of the world and the experiences they have given me. I have always had a strong passion for photography, naturally evolving from growing up in Fernie, and wanted to share these adventures and scenery of the surrounding area with others.

Just under ten years ago, my life transitioned from photography to aviation – the ‘ultimate Kootenay addiction’ but my passion for photography never truly disappeared. Having the ability to see the beautiful mountains that surround us from such a high elevation inspired me to document as much of it as possible from the air.

Additionally, aviation allowed me to give back to the community I love. I have a strong desire to help others, and partnered with the aviation skillset of Brent Bidston, Angel Flight East Kootenay was born. This charity provides residents with free air transportation to Kelowna for medical appoints. Not only is this a service that is overwhelmingly needed, these flights take passengers directly across some of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Canada.

That is where Wings Above the Rocks was born - a high-quality lay flat photo book showcasing some of the most stunning peaks I have had the opportunity of capturing over Southeast British Columbia, as seen from a vantage point few ever get.

This collection of photography is born from my love of aviation, and desire to share the beauty I have witnessed with others.

Flying in one of the most beautiful parts of the world is just too good not to share!

Being a co-founder and pilot for Angel Flight East Kootenay, it’s only fitting that the net proceeds from this book go towards funding this amazing service.

Wings Above the Rocks is available to purchase online at RavenEyePhotography. com/WingsAboveTheRocks or under the donate now section at AngelFlightEK.ca

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Arts and Entertainment

ARTBEAT

A Trick of the Light

by MICHAEL HEPHER This column marks the beginning of my 5th year of ArtBeat. I am grateful to the Fernie Fix for the opportunity to share my passion, my craft, my ideas, and often my strong opinion about art, especially where it bleeds into community, relationships, and care for the planet.

I sometimes end up wading through heavy things, which can be tiring.This month, I’ll promise I’ll be keeping it light—I think we all need a little bit of light.

The master painters of the Renaissance brought many things to the practice of art that we continue to use, among them are mathematical perspective, proportion, foreshortening, and chiaroscuro. In the 19th century the expressionists bent many of those rules—Van Gogh’s swirling brilliance for example. In the 20th century artists like Dali and Picasso found ways of unshackling us from them completely.

Only one rule remained largely untouched: chiaroscuro.* If you can picture Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, you can picture chiaroscuro.

This Italian word literally means ‘lightdark.’ When an artist uses dramatic lighting to create a sense of depth, story, and space—that’s chiaroscuro. Photographers often call it tonal range. The use of contrast between dark darks and light lights remains one of the most effective tools for creating successful works regardless of style or medium.

When I teach a workshop, whether it’s painting or printmaking, one of the first things I tell my students is to decide where the light is coming from and to draw an arrow on the paper or canvas so they don’t forget. Our brains are quite amazing at using light to distinguish layers and shapes in the world around us, and our ability to harness that in a painting can go a long

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“The use of contrast between dark darks and light lights remains one of the most effective tools for creating successful works regardless of style or medium.”

way to truly selling a composition to our viewer. For me, the last step in finishing a painting often involves adding dabs of almost-black in the shadows and cutting the highlights and edges with almost-white to really emphasize that contrast.

I’ve personally never been interested in realism. Cameras are really good at capturing the world around us just as it

is, and my chosen mediums are so good at expressing emotion, that they feel to me like a more interesting pursuit. I often paint landscapes, or carve linocuts of local scenes, but I try to chase the feeling behind those places rather than the reality. Colours are flipped on their head, trees are deleted or added, mountains moved out of the way, perspective shifted—but the lighting remains. Without understanding how the light clarifies the scene around me, I can’t paint convincingly. Without understanding how a tree is backlit or how it glints off the water or casts a shadow in the crag of a rock, my work stays flat and uninspiring.

There are of course artists, like Rothko’s abstract blocks of colour, that dispose of any kind of directional light altogether.

One could argue, however, that he plays with subtle luminescence in a way that is intended to imply an internal light source and continues to use contrast in a way that gives us a sense of place. If you look at his body of work, you will see that he didn’t start with abstracts. In the late 1930s

he painted flattened but more traditional streetscapes. In the early 40’s his work had evolved into Salvador Dali-like surrealist lines and shapes. By 1947 it was all about soft-edge blocks of colour stacked simply on one another, glowing like a backlit road sign.

The point is that this trick of the light is still present, if much more subtle. To understand chiaroscuro at that level he had to paint his way through the world for decades before he could simplify it successfully. When it comes to using light in our work, there are indeed ways of bending the rules, and occasionally shattering them altogether. Still, It’s worth exploring the rules rigorously so that when we do, we can break them with some tact and some grace. A successful composition isn’t necessarily an accurate representation of a landscape, but it must be convincing.

Chiaroscuro is a big part of making it so. *pronounced: kee-AR-ə-SKOOR-oh

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Arts and Entertainment

AT PEACE AND YET ON FIRE

STINGING RETREAT

by Sadie Rosgen “Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” - Michael J. Fox When the word divorce comes up people get uncomfortable. I see it in their gaze. When I explain that I cannot remember a time when my parents were together, or that the sight of their wedding photo truly elicits a sense of disbelief and awe, they generally feel pity.

For as long as I can remember, it was Mom or Dad. We saw my Dad as much as we could growing up. We lived in Drumheller, Alberta and he was a short distance to Calgary. Once a month my brother and I would venture to the big city to

spend the weekend renting movies, skiing, biking along the Bow River, and definitely watching Hockey Night in Canada. He took us all over the country, chasing sports stadiums with his brother Rob, soaking up the sun on any and every beach we could find. Dad knew how to work hard and have fun. When I turned 19, I moved in with him. We hadn’t lived together since I was four years old. It was tricky at first, getting used to each other again. I’d leave the stereo on, he’d reprimand me, I’d wake him up coming home late, he’d offer his words of advice on how to be more responsible. I knew that these words came from a place of missing out, of longing, he’d never had a chance to really catch me sneaking in or being even remotely irresponsible. I was an adult now and appreciated his love and concern.

And now it’s my turn for concern once again. In his 70 years, he has battled cancer and won, survived a major heart attack and as he battles cancer once again, I am reminded of how delicate this relationship is. How vulnerable we all are, moving through time and space. How it’s never too late to say what needs saying, to laugh, to anger, to cry. As a parent myself, I can’t help but wonder how hard it must have been to miss my ball games and school plays, parent teacher interviews, and Christmas mornings. Life is rife with choices and sacrifice.

I hope I can look back on this poem and be reminded of the battle that my Dad fought and won.

STINGING RETREAT

by Sadie Rosgen Somewhere between Abott and Rose Avenue, my heart fell apart, sprung from my chest with a start.

How do you do the right thing?

How do you show up for the people that made you?

How does this suffering end?

The rain mists down now a caress for the shattered, a silent prayer for the people that mattered.

The beeping hospital reels me in as I reluctantly activate the doors.

I politely explain who I am and why I’ve come, but they know me already.

They know my name, ask how my children are remark how my eyes are just like Dad’s.

He’s aged a lifetime.

I remind him that this too is temporary, that all of us are made for this, living and dying.

“That’s just it kiddo, to live or die.”

My father sleeps, exhausted by his 70 years, afraid that this is where it ends.

“Just look at me,” he croaks.

I am.

His eyes close again, a gentle retreat inside, our lives together, amplified.

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Summer’s Here...

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Arts and Entertainment

THE RENTAL FIX

The Harder They Fall

by ANDREW VALLANCE The Western film genre has a welldeserved reputation for being incredibly racist. The golden age of these movies took place in the 1950s, a time before inter-racial marriage was legal in the United States, when Jim Crow laws were still enforced in the American south, before the American Indian Movement was established, before Malcolm X had built the Nation of Islam into a force to be reckoned with, and before Dr. Martin Luther King had organized his march on Washington. It was a particularly bad time to be black or brown in the U.S. of A. Westerns in this era were dominated by unapologetically right-wing movie actors like John Wayne, Charlton Heston and Jimmy Stewart. Indigenous characters were often played by white actors, and they were often disrespectfully portrayed as barbaric savages.

Rarely were black characters featured, even in supporting roles, which is unfortunate, because there were a number of black cowboys who played prominent roles in the history of the old West and some, like Bass Reeves, became the real life inspiration for fictional characters such as The Lone Ranger.

In the last 20 to 30 years, film makers have tried to remedy this oversight, by doing things like casting Danny Glover as one of the heroes in Silverado and incorporating black actors into the John Cusack led film Jack Bull. But these attempts have been half-hearted at best. No one has really tried to bring significant black characters from the Wild West to the Big Screen, until now.

The Harder They Fall is a western with an all-black cast. It is extremely colourful, gloriously violent, incredibly funny and undeniably exciting.

Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela:Long Walk to Freedom (2013).

The film is directed and co-written by Jeymes Samuel. Samuel has directed one other movie, They Die by Dawn, another film about African American outlaws, but he is actually better known as a singer-songwriter and as such has worked alongside people like Jay Z and Baz Luhrman. It has to be said that, probably as a result of Samuel’s previous work, the soundtrack of this film is absolutely great.

The Harder They Fall is wonderful and not to be missed.

Two thumbs way, way up.

The film tells the story of Nat Love, a bandit with a heart of gold, who hunts other outlaws during his search for the criminals who brutally murdered his family when he was a small boy. The movie is interesting in that it features black outlaws and black lawmen who actually existed, such as Bass Reeves and Stagecoach Mary, but places them in events that are entirely fictional.

The Harder They Fall features wonderful performances from Delroy Lindo, who plays Bass Reeves, and Jonathan Majors, who plays Nat Love. Also giving great performances are Regina King (Trudy Smith), Zazie Beats (Stagecoach Mary), Lakieth Stanfield (Cherokee Bill), Damon Wayans Jr. (Munro Grimes),and Edi Gathegi (Bill Pickett). The very talented and very menacing Idris Elba plays Rufus Buck, the villain of the piece. Elba is best known for roles including Stringer Bell in the HBO series The Wire, DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther, and FERNIEFIX.COM

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Community

FEATURE RESIDENT

Andrea Reed

by KRISTA TURCASSO Lately, my social media has been full of live feeds and great results from our local girls’ volleyball teams… and I have been loving every minute of it! From the amazing Summer Olympic women’s soccer’s athleticism and coverage last year, to the continuation of some of the best hockey I’ve ever seen at the Winter Olympics performed by women this winter, to a growth and focus on girls’ volleyball in Fernie… what a joy, and something I hope has become the new norm.

I had to ask one of the parents sharing posts, what is going on? When did this begin and who has been involved? The resounding recommendation was to speak to Andrea Reed.

Andrea grew up in Sparwood, (originally Andrea Podrasky) and is grateful for the experience.

“It was just so comfortable, my Dad was born in the Michel Hotel and grew up here, too. We just knew everybody, and our whole family lived here too,” she shares with me. “I did move after graduation, but as they say those who call the valley home always come back. When I did, I never left.”

Andrea actually went to school to become a hair stylist and worked at Blue Lime when she returned. “But it was then that I realized I wanted to work with children and youth,” she says. She decided to complete the Early Childhood Education Program, and began babysitting and nannying before accepting a temporary position with Teck Coal. “I was still trying to figure it all out, and while there realized working with children and youth was still important to me so I completed a diploma in Child and Family Studies and started

Cassandra Fahselt, Leah Soetart, Olivia Sombrowski, Payton Bauer, Alisia Dvorak, Cianna McCall, Olivia Collings, Audrey Sims, Morgan Trand, Hannah Halley, Sydney Fahselt, Missing from Photo: Anna Loewen, Coach Andrea Reed, Coach Dani Dvorak | Submitted Photo working with SD5 as an Educational Assistant.”

When Andrea and her soon-to-be husband moved to Fernie, she began working at Little Me alongside completing her Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Studies. Luckily it was an online program as she also got married and became a mom to her daughter Ashley during this time. After her mat leave, Andrea worked at Isabella Dicken for a couple of years and then had an opportunity to work with ?Aqam running child and youth programming.

“But then COVID happened, and we couldn’t run the programming as

people couldn’t interact. I stayed on as a Family Support Worker, and it was a very positive experience where I created great connections with people, learned a lot about their culture, and had the opportunity work with nurses and healthcare aids.”

It was at ?Aqam that Andrea met Kim Bauer, who is the Executive Director at the Elkford Women’s Taskforce.

Obviously impressed with Andrea’s abilities and experience, Kim offered her the opportunity to be the Program Coordinator and Counsellor for the Elk Valley PEACE program. This free program supports the emotional and psychological needs of children and youth witnessing

violence and raises community awareness and is available to kids ages 3-18 residing in the Elk Valley.

Currently, while continuing in this position, Andrea is working towards her Masters in Counselling Psychology.

“Part of the PEACE program is the Violence is Preventable program. I go to classrooms in the Valley and present to K to 12, teaching self-esteem building, emotional expression, healthy relationships, and violence against women. I love it.

When I first started working with children and youth, I never thought I would be where I am – the anti-violence sector wasn’t on my radar and now I can’t see how it couldn’t be,” Andrea shares with me.

What is interesting is how this all overlaps with her passion for volleyball.

Andrea has been playing volleyball since grade four, and when she was growing up there were more schools in each community which meant there was more opportunity to play at a younger age.

When she was in high school, she started helping the coaches in the elementary schools with their programs.

“Then as I got older and was in the Junior and Senior programs, I coached the Bantom teams,” she tells me, having pretty much coached ever since. “I have two stepdaughters, my youngest was playing at Isabella Dicken and she asked me to coach.

I followed her team until they graduated and also started running development camps and sessions. There wasn’t a Fernie Volleyball Club yet, so kids were not getting the opportunity to develop before Grade 6.”

Andrea has been working with the Fernie Volleyball Club U18 team, girls who she ran camps for since Grade 5. “So, I’ve been with them for eight years. It’s crazy and sad because we only have one tournament left and then they graduate!” At the time of our meeting, they had just won the Alberta Provincial Finals, and were heading to the Nationals in Edmonton. “It’s a big event, called Super Nationals where teams from

around the country come to compete,” Andrea says.

Andrea is grateful for the opportunity to offer a safe place for young people to engage in an activity.

“By safe I mean the encouragement between one another, with coaches, a place to learn, to share the love of this sport and how fun it can be, and how we are a family. We spend six hours training a week plus tournaments (which can be up to 20 hours). It is such a great support system, where they develop friendships and connections. Girls from the Crownest Pass, Elkford, South Country, and Fernie in Grades 11 and 12 have come together to play on this team and they’ve made connections with girls who they may never have met if not for the sport.”

Andrea plans to continue to work hard to support youth in the Elk Valley through both of these roles and is happy where she is at.

4. What keeps you here?

The life I have created, my family, my friends and just being really proud of what I have worked for. While I could do the same things in a different community, I am proud to give back to the community that gave so much to me.

5. Do you have a favourite pastime?

Binge watching a tv series with my husband.

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

I love the summer, I have never been one for winter, which is weird since I have lived here my entire life. I love to be outside gardening, in the heat and warmth… it’s just my favourite time.

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

“I’m so fulfilled. The parental support with the team is insane, I’ve never seen such a fantastic group of parents. And I love the PEACE program and the work I’m doing with them.”

We live in a community where we are really good at developing programs for youth and working together to make sure these programs happen. In five years, I hope the partnerships continue to create an inclusive environment for youth in the valley.

Thank you, Andrea. And congratulations to the U18 team! We are impressed.

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

For more on the Elk Valley PEACE Program, visit ewtfs.ca. For information on the Fernie Volleyball Club visit fernievolleyball.com.

Coffee! I like to get up when it’s still super quiet in the house, make myself a coffee and sit and reflect about my upcoming day.

With the job I do, self care is important and I enjoy that downtime.

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

I was born in the Sparwood Hospital!

2. Who did you first meet?

My wonderful parents, Ricci and Glenda Podrasky.

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

It has always been home and comfortable.

The place that I want to stay.

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

I love to be in the kitchen. I secretly bake for people!

10. Quote to live by: I tell the girls that it’s important to make mistakes, and that it’s the next move that counts. Athletes are so hard on themselves, and they need to know mistakes are necessary for development.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Community

CITY CORNER

Floods and Frustration

by ANGE QUALIZZA Emergency management, emergency preparedness and building resilient communities. Those are all phrases we throw around a lot, and you might be thinking those phrases have become tedious. I can completely appreciate that, but you should be watching local governments closely right now, because we need to be investing in programs that to the best of our ability insulate our communities from these emergency situations.

At a conference recently, we were presented with the concept that every dollar of investment to reduce risk to your community, saves us 14 future dollars.

Emergencies arrive with little warning, they are staying longer than we’ve ever experienced, and they are becoming larger scale than we are used to.

Emergencies are typically local, and that is why your local government needs an emergency management plan that involves mitigation and prevention, preparedness, response AND recovery.

A key component of a successful emergency management program is you, our community. Understanding risks, future proofing your own houses and businesses, and making sure you have a solid safety plan. A great first step is registering for the RDEK Evacuation Notification System, this is the quickest way to receive notifications of alerts or orders that may be impacting you.

In Fernie, the Annex Dike Flood Protection Improvement Project is the city’s third major flood mitigation project, valued at $4.975 million dollars and funded through grants. This project will protect over 900 residences, 113 commercial

to improve flood protection, and that feels like a fantastic accomplishment. The Mountview Dike, and Northlands ‘Maiden Lake’ Dike were our first two projects that protect important infrastructure.

Coal Creek meets Elk River, November 2021 V. Croome Photo

“At a conference recently, we were presented with the concept that every dollar of investment to reduce risk to your community, saves us 14 future dollars.” properties, six industrial properties and 2,000+ citizens living in the Annex neighbourhood.

In 2019 we commissioned a Flood Mitigation Plan that specifically identified flood hazards and updated flood plain mapping, from there we were faced with a laundry list of hazards and it was daunting to see how many gaps in flood protection existed throughout the community.

We went through the exercise of prioritizing risk and projects and started chasing grants. Since 2019 the City has secured $8.234 million dollars in funding

Last month I had the privilege of attending an in-person meeting with Minister Farnworth and other community leaders that were impacted by the November atmospheric rain event. As the meeting was starting, I was checking in with the leaders of Princeton, Merrit and Abbotsford and feeling their immediate frustration and ongoing vulnerability. The price tags that are associated with their immediate flood protection is staggering, the confusion about timelines is frustrating.

As of April of this year, hundreds of residents were still displaced by the November floods in Merritt. The Mayor of Abbotsford has been all over the media saying that another catastrophe is just around the corner and asking for emergency support of immediate critical dike repairs, or the next breach will devastate his community.

This time of year, we are watching and waiting, holding our breath, hoping the freshet doesn’t bring another flood for Fernie. I will be so relieved when this next section of flood protection is finished.

I have a lot of empathy for the communities around the province still living with the consequences of the November freshet.

This summer it might be inconvenient to see the work on the Annex dike, but short-term disruption will ensure our community is protected long into the future… and that makes me pretty happy.

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Our 10 year anniversary in A new location!

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EVENTS CALENDAR

MONTHLY EVENTS Wednesday 1.6.2022 Board Governance: The Rules @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Thursday 2.6.2022 Passion and Grit: Build Your Resilience Toolkit @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Fernie Ambassador Program @ College of the Rockies Volunteer Management for Non-profits @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Saturday 4.6.2022 Fernie Community Yard Sale @ Throughout Fernie Comedy Night @ Kodiak Lounge, 8pm. Tickets $20 Sunday 5.6.2022 Pool Tourney Night @ The Pub Monday 6.6.2022 The Great Benjamins Family Circus @ Sparwood, 4:30 and 7pm Tuesday 7.6.2022 FMBC 2Knee Race @ Hypervent Marketing Fundamentals: Work Smarter, Not Harder @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Quickbooks in the Cloud Enhanced @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce The Great Benjamins Family Circus @ Fernie Memorial Arena, 4:30 and 7pm Wednesday 8.6.2022 Building a More 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusive Business @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce

Stay up to date by visiting FernieFix.com/events.

Send your events to krista@clarismedia.com for inclusion!

Thursday 9.6.2022 Passion and Grit: Build Your Resilience Toolkit @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Fernie Ambassador Program @ College of the Rockies Quickbooks in the Cloud Enhanced @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Friday 10.6.2022 Gallery Opening: Jackie Impey @ The Arts Station, 7pm Saturday 11.6.2022 Women’s Beginner Mountain Biking @ Mystic Mountain Adventures Sunday 12.6.2022 Pool Tourney Night @ The Pub Monday 13.6.2022 Business Mapping: Developing a Smart Business Model @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Tuesday 14.6.2022 Focused Marketing Strategy: Driving Results @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Board Governance: The Strategy @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Quickbooks in the Cloud Enhanced @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Wednesday 15.6.2022 FMBC Little Critter Race @ TBD Rivers and Streams Open for Fishing Business Disaster Planning Workshop @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Business, Banter and Beer (BBB) @ Elk Valley Furniture Studio

Thursday 16.6.2022 Quickbooks in the Cloud Enhanced @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Sunday 19.7.2022 Summer Opening Day @ Island Lake Lodge Tuesday 21.6.2022 Real World Marketing: From TikTok to Tradeshows @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Quickbooks in the Cloud Enhanced @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce National Indigenous Peoples Day @ City of Fernie / Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it (Tobacco Plains Indian Band) Thursday 23.6.2022 Board Governance: The Players @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Quickbooks in the Cloud Enhanced @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce Saturday 25.6.2022 Fernie Gravel Grind @ Station Square Summer Opening Day @ Fernie Alpine Resort Women’s Intermediate Mountain Biking @ Mystic Mountain Adventures Sunday 26.6.2022 Fernie Gravel Grind @ Station Square Wednesday 29.6.2022 Scott Downhill Race Series: Kids/Youth #1 @ Fernie Alpine Resort Thursday 30.6.2022 Scott Downhill Race Series: Adult/Masters #1 @ Fernie Alpine Resort

Wednesdays Club All Play – Fernie Pickeleball @ Max Turyk Courts, 8:30-10:30am Seniors Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, 11:15am Curbside Craft @ Fernie Heritage Library, Pickup is from 10am each Wednesday (ages 5-7) Toddlertime (Ages 0-2 years) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Fernie Youth Art Collective @ The Arts Station Trivia @ Fernie Hotel Pub All Night Happy Hour @ Bramasole Men’s League @ Fernie Golf Club Thursdays Seniors Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, 11:15am Bellies to Babies @ Zoom, 2pm Club Baguette Junior French tutoring and activities 3pm @ Isabella Dickens library Club Baguette Adults learn and converse in French for adults 7pm @ Zoom Pub Team Trivia @ The Pub (Starting up again on June 23) Open Mic Night @ Fernie Distillers, 7pm Trail Work Night @ Fernie Trails Alliance Seniors League @ Fernie Golf Club

Art on the Deck @ The Arts Station (begins June 16) Run Club @ Stag Leap Fridays Club All Play – Fernie Pickeleball @ Max Turyk Courts, 8:30-10:30am Storytime (ages 0-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Fish and Chips @ The Pub Fish and Chips Take Away @ Fernie Hotel, 4pm Meat Draw @ The Fernie Club Cre8 @ The Arts Station Open Mic Night @ Fernie Distillers, 7pm Big Red Fridays @ Bramasole Live Music @ Loaf Happy & Appy Hour specials @ Kodiak Lounge Saturdays Meat Draw @ The Legion Supernatural Saturdays @ The Central Sundays Roast Dinner Special (includes Beer Pint or Glass of Wine) for $20 @ The Pub

WEEKLY EVENTS Mondays Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page Les Tiguidous French activities for toddlers (05yo) 10:30am @ the Cokato Park playground Club All Play – Fernie Pickeleball @ Max Turyk Courts, 8:30-10:30am Le Club Baguette Junior @ Rotary Park, outdoor activities and games in French ages 7-12, 3:30pm Jam Night @ Kodiak Lounge, 9pm Tuesdays Storytime (ages 3-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library Live Instagram and Facebook Seniors Walking Program @ Fernie Community Centre, 11:15am Fernie Options for Sexual Health Clinic Open @ Elk Valley Hospital, by appointment, 1st and 3rd Tuesday of month only Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page Burger and Beer Night @ The Northern Wing Night @ The Pub Inventors Club @ Fernie Heritage Library, ages 8-10 Ladies’ League @ Fernie Golf Club Pasta Tuesdays @ Bramasole Karaoke @ Kodiak Lounge, 9pm

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Congratulations to the Class of 2022 From all of us at Teck, a heartfelt congratulations for the hard work and dedication that brought you to this important milestone.

We look forward to sharing your future endeavours. www.teck.com/careers

Community

AT THE GROUND LEVEL

Lightening the River Load

by SYLVIA AYERS, illustrated by SARAH PULLEN

Did you know?

Most storm drains go directly into the Elk River.

Street pollution becomes river pollution.

Connecting gutters to the municipal sewage can overload our already overloaded sewage system during storms and that water ends up in the river.

The oil and fluids that leak from your car end up in the river. The dirty, soapy water you use to wash your car in the driveway also ends up there.

And the pesticides and fertilizers you spray your grass with will travel through the ground water to pollute the river, too. Fertilizers can cause excessive algae, which causes bacterial growth and a decrease in oxygen concentration.

Text adapted from Elk River Alliance signage

What can I do?

Take your car to the carwash!

Use rain barrels to collect water then water is on hand for watering your garden.

Grow more native plants that require less water and fertilizing and keep the weeds out.

Remember that what comes out of the sky, what runs out of your driveway or soaks into your lawn and garden, goes into the river.

FERNIEFIX.COM

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photo: @danyaltaylor

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Community

SCIENCE AND EVERYDAY LIFE

The Science of Personality Types

by FRED GIETZ pseu·do·sci·ence /ˌso͞odōˈsīəns/

Big 5 Traits

noun 1. A collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method.

As we wind down our review of Science and the Scientific Method, it is well worth taking a look at “pseudoscience” - or what has over the last two years become known as “fake science” (closely related to fake news). The question is, however, fake to who and why such broad differences in opinion and beliefs?

The topic of science and research has recently surged in the media and everyday conversations. Under normal circumstances this would be an encouraging sign of people being interested in science and technology and the changes occurring in our lives due to science and technology.

Unfortunately, we find that rather than having respectful conversation and debate we are experiencing the dissemination of some rather wild “scientific” information resulting in the polarization of friends and family members.

But wait a minute; one person’s skepticism is another’s strong belief – how do we find agreement on some of the contentious issues affecting our lives? Hopefully our discussions dealing with the scientific method, critical thinking skills, valid research and the understanding of bias will help resolve some of the differences of opinion. However, it is painfully apparent that many people will passionately hold on to their opinions and beliefs despite “Personality Types” continued on next page

Openness The tendency to appreciate new art, ideas, values, feelings, and behaviours.

Conscientiousness The tendency to be careful, on-time for appointments, to follow rules, and to be hardworking.

Extraversion The tendency to be talkative, sociable, and to enjoy others; the tendency to have a dominant style.

Agreeableness The tendency to agree and go along with others rather than to assert one’s own opinions and choices.

Neuroticism The tendency to frequently experience negative emotions such as anger, worry, and sadness, as well as being interpersonally sensitive.

Source: University of Saskatchewan - Introduction to Psychology

FERNIEFIX.COM

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Y A M A G O Y A

Pay Debit And Support Local Community Groups For over 20 years the Elk Valley Dolphins Swim Club has been providing families in the Elk Valley a safe environment which offers quality swim training with a focus on long term athlete development.

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“Personality Types” continued on next page what facts or research is presented to them. Don’t believe me? Just look to our southern neighbours and the differences of opinion between political, religious or health issues (and we probably don’t have to look too far from our own communities).

This leads us to an area of study that until recently was largely considered a pseudoscience - the study of personality traits. Personality traits reflect people’s characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Beginning with the early Greeks, it was recognized that people exhibited very different traits, from being an extrovert to being an introvert, etc. (Fun fact: In Hippocrates’ words, four personality types existed: sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic.

Imagine being known as “phlegmatic” rather than “agreeable.”) After World War II the American government hired psychologists to develop personality trait tests in order to match returning GIs to

“...the next time you have a somewhat heated discussion over some controversial topic, remember that the way you and others perceive information can be heavily influenced by your personality type.” appropriate jobs that fit their personality.

And today many of us have completed fun personality tests found in many magazines.

However, these efforts to categorize people by traits was considered a pseudoscience due to deficiencies in research validity, reliability or the fact that many categories of personality were not independent from each other.

The growth of modern social media has allowed psychologists to refine their studies of personality types simply from the massive amounts of data they are able to

collect. From this data social scientists now focus on the “Big Five Personality Traits”: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

extraversion agreeableness conscientiousness openness neuroticism

What do personality types have to do with how we accept or deny scientific study and how passionate we become over our social beliefs? It would appear that our personality type would affect how we view and respond to our core values and any perceived threat to our beliefs, be that conservative and liberal politics or the threat of climate change or health regulations.

So, the next time you have a somewhat heated discussion over some controversial topic, remember that the way you and others perceive information can be heavily influenced by your personality type. In the words of The Gambler, “you need to know when to hold them and when to fold them.”

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Strengthening the places

welove

Proudly supporting people and communities in the Columbia Basin

Restoring an Historic Building — Fernie Museum

Feeding Fernie — The Salvation Army Fernie

A Trail for Everyone — Contra-Trail

ourtrust.org/basinstories

Welcome Home — North End Court Affordable Housing

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

Health and Lifestyle

COLD-CLIMATE GARDENING

Direct Seeding vs Starting Indoors

by ASHLEY LORTSCHER I think one of the most heartbreaking gardening experiences, for myself, is spending half the winter cultivating beautiful seedlings indoors, only to transplant them and watch them wither away. I’m always so eager to grow food, but my eagerness to start seeds indoors is usually to my disadvantage. So, here is my personal rule of thumb: direct seed everything possible! If you can, avoid starting plants indoors and having to transplant them.

Fernie weather is so unpredictable in the spring, it’s hard to know when to transplant your more sensitive garden delicacies. For five years I would start zucchini indoors to get a jump start on the market garden season. For five years I watched the directly seeded zucchini quickly outgrow the transplanted ones. When you start a plant by placing the seed directly in your garden bed, it acclimates to the microbiome around it (fungi, bacteria, other plants, etc.) and can create beneficial relationships with them. The plant will be better acclimated to the temperature of the soil, light, and UV exposure of where it is situated. Plants that are directly seeded are far more likely to develop a tap root architecture (root ‘shape’) than if they were started in a tray or a pot; tap root development makes the plant more drought resistant and more readily able to take up nutrients.You also get to skip all the work and resources required to seed in trays, buy grow lights, pot up plants, harden them off, and then transplant them.

Yes, it is unlikely you will get a watermelon in Fernie without starting indoors first, but you would be surprised at the number of cherry tomato varieties you can direct seed and still harvest fruit

Submitted Photo

“...my personal rule of thumb: direct seed everything possible!” in August! Don’t take my word for it, try it yourself! Have a zucchini race and see if a direct seeded plant grows bigger, faster, or stronger than one that had a jump start indoors.

That being said, every technique has its place. I like seeding lettuce up in trays throughout the summer. Lettuce doesn’t mind transplanting too much and has more of a fibrous root architecture. Not only

do the trays allow me to start oodles of lettuce in a small space, it also allows me to have plant material readily on hand to fill in gaps in my garden due to seeds not germinating or space being created from harvesting the veggies that are ready. This works well with bok choy, broccoli, bush beans, and chard as well.

The thing I love the most about gardening is that I get to be a scientist and learn new things! So start your own little garden experiments this summer and find out what works best for you.

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Be Prepared.

Start Here.

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

FIRST AID AND SAFETY z Red Cross Emergency Child Care | June 5

z St. John CPR A & C & AED | June 11

z Teck Hazardous Energy Isolation | June 6

z Occupational First Aid-Level 3 | June 13

z Occupational First Aid-Level 1 | June 6 and July 4

z Opioid Emergency Awareness | June 16

z Confined Space | June 7

z Occupational Health/Safety P2 | June 17

z St. John Standard for Industry | June 8

z Skid Steer | June 18

z Transportation Endorsement | June 10

z Workplace Accident Investigation | June 24

z Occupational Health/Safety P1 | June 10

BUSINESS, LIFESTYLE AND LEISURE z Fernie Ambassador Program | June 2 and 9

z CORE Hunter Training | June 11

z Volunteer Management | June 2

z FOODSAFE Level 1 | June 14

z Summer Cocktails | June 4

z CDN Firearms Safety | June 18

z Conversational Spanish | June 6

z Bike Maintenance and Repairs | June 15

z Becoming a Home Herbalist | June 7

z Cheese in the Spring Bundle | June 25

z Quickbooks Cloud Enhanced | June 7

z Vegetable Gardening & Seed Saving | June 27

z Sensational Spring Flowers | June 9

?

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

Health and Lifestyle

SLOW TRAVEL

Summer Solstice

by PATRICK ROBERTSON The longest day of our year is the Summer Solstice, marking the beginning of summer.

The first day of summer ushers in a brighter time of light, life, fertility and good crops. Summer Solstice is a time of celebration throughout the northern countries with major celebrations taking place.

This year in particular gives us a chance to gather and celebrate as people are once again travelling regionally, nationally and internationally as we adapt and live within the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day that recognizes how important summer solstice is to Indigenous Peoples culture. It is celebrated in our National Capital with the six-day Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival celebrating the unique heritage, distinct cultures and outstanding contributions of the First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

There are knowledge workshops on a variety of topics such as Inuit Throat Singing. A big draw is the competition Pow-Wow that brings in competitors from all over Canada. This year there is a Reconciliation Long Table dinner, a Performance Stage for upcoming artists and lots of family and children activities.

Many people celebrate the dawn of the solstice at Stonehenge located in the Southwest of England not far from Bath.

Over 10,000 people show up before 4:01am to watch the sun rise behind the Heel stone of the iconic stone circle that was constructed over 5,000 years ago.

When the sun reaches the top of the 40 ton sarsen, the light beam transects the henge to create an indelible image for those attending.

Swedish musicians | Submitted Photo Sweden celebrates Midsummer Days around the summer solstice. All over Sweden there are festivals and private gatherings held outdoors. Major cities are deserted at this time as everyone heads to the country.

People dress up in traditional garments that have local meanings and symbolism.

You must make your own midsummer garland with wild flowers before lunch.

Lunch is pickled herring, boiled potatoes with dill, baked salmon and moose to be washed down with cold beer and Swedish style vodka that is drank after singing short humorous songs. Lunch is followed by games and dancing around the May pole all decorated in blue, white and yellow flowers.

Tirol, Austria’s traditional celebration involves the lighting of thousands and thousands of Summer Solstice fires along the top ridges of their mountains from the German to the Italian border. The tradition predates Christian times as part of pagan rituals to the sun.

You will also see many Sacred Heart of Jesus fires across the state in the shape of crosses and other religious items that goes back to medieval days when an oath was made to protect Tirol from the invading French troops. Beginning at 9pm, the fires are lit all over Austria followed by games, dancing and celebrating throughout the night.

June is a great month to travel to witness some of these celebrations or just to travel after the long dark winter to rejuvenate yourself. All the summer places are open after being closed for the winter while others have just finished one of the slow seasons of the year. Proprietors, servers, and tourism industry people are fresh and happy to see visitors. The popular places are not yet packed with the crowds of July and August and prices for accommodations are less. Restaurants are not as busy, and it is easy to get a table. The days are generally warm with pleasant evening temperatures. And of course, there is lots of daylight to wander around exploring your surroundings.

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Health and Lifestyle

FAMILY WELLNESS

Managing Stress Through Art

by DR TAINA TURCASSO, ND RM At this time of year when we welcome back the light, so desperately needed after a couple of dark years, it can be helpful to find colourful and enjoyable means of reducing stress levels. As stress levels may be at an all-time high, it is fortunate for us in the Elk Valley that there is also an ever-increasing amount of art available to enjoy in the form of public art as well as small, local galleries popping up, but also in opportunities to learn about different medias and produce art.

In a review of the literature that exists in the area of the effect art and art therapy have on health, music appears to be the most accessible and the most researched form of art used for healing purposes.

Music has been shown to decrease anxiety, restore emotional balance, and actually help patients achieve control over pain. Several studies have demonstrated the use of music therapy in cancer patients with chronic pain, illustrating that music can not only reduce pain in this population, but also increase their sense of control while in the hospital, improve immunity, and decrease their anxiety.

Art therapy, or utilizing art projects to allow people to explore their creativity, also can help people to express and process emotions such as grief, loss, fear, and anxiety, potentially enabling them to reclaim an identity outside of these emotions and move past the experiences that have shaped them. Art and music therapy have thus become useful in working with patients struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder as it allows them to use imagery to tell their stories without having to verbally recount the events of their past. Further, it enables them to express ideas or experiences for

Fernie Dumpster Project | V. Croome photo

“At this time of year when we welcome back the light, so desperately needed after a couple of dark years, it can be helpful to find colourful and enjoyable means of reducing stress levels.” which they lack the words. The same appears to be true for people with cancer, heart disease, or other serious illnesses.

Encouraging these patients to explore their disease and the emotions around the disease through artistic expression, either in a group or individual setting, can open up the pathways to emotional healing.

The use of music or art in hospitals is shown to decrease hospital stays, reduce stress, and decrease the need for sleep aids, but this is not limited to those participating in hands on forms of art therapy. Having

art on the walls and playing music in the background at the hospital is also associated with these improved experiences and outcomes. These benefits extend to our own homes and the world around us. Having soothing art on the walls and listening to music can have a direct result on our mood, as well as on the production and balancing of stress hormones. The same is true of those who participate in playing music or creating art at any level. Playing a simple piece of music on the piano is a form of artistic expression that can have impactful effects on your mind and body, just as drawing, or even filling out the pages of a colouring book can.

Beyond art and music exist other forms of art therapy such as movement-based creative expression (such as dancing and tai chi) and expressive writing, which both appear to have positive effects on body image, ambulation, and psychological well-being as well as perceived overall

physical well-being. Those who participate in expressive writing, in particular, appear to have less pain, less depression, less fatigue, and improved immunity.

For many of us, tapping into our artistic side is a departure from most of the cognitive and physical work that we do on a day-to-day basis, so these activities actually provide our brains with a different type of exercise that can have long-lasting effects. Decreasing our stress response has a wide variety of wellknown effects, including but not limited to improved sleep, better mood, and decreased anxiety.

Despite there not being comprehensive empirical data on the efficacy and importance of art therapy of all types on wellness or health, it is no small coincidence that humans have integrated art into all of our cultures and civilizations with such great importance. As we enter the light-filled month of June, perhaps take an opportunity to see what is available locally for to you to both look at and produce.

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

Happy Pride Season!

Pride Season is a term that refers to the wide range of Pride events that take place over the summer (June to September) when LGBTQ2 communities and allies come together to spotlight the resilience, celebrate the talent, and recognize the contributions of LGBTQ2 communities. For more information, visit women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/prideseason.html

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Health and Lifestyle

THIS IS LIFE

Rediscovering Your Passions

by TYLA CHARBONNEAU Do you remember back in elementary school when you were asked to write “I am” in the middle of the page and you had to write all the things that made you you around it? Daughter, brother, reader, athlete etc. If I asked you to do that today, what words would you write outside of your profession and family roles? What are your current passions? If you have difficulty answering those questions, please know that you are not alone. I often ask people to do this exercise and receive blank stares in return.

Two and a half years ago we were asked for the greater good of society to avoid partaking in the events that drive our passion and fuel our zest for life. This was a real challenge in a town like this that runs on social interaction, sports and leisure activities, and organized events. Today, we can freely participate in these activities again and many have jumped right back in full speed ahead. For others there seems to be some challenges in getting back into the things we love most in life.

Family and career were the two constants in the past years. Many of us threw ourselves into both of these aspects of our lives, for some both were strengthened and for others we began to see the cracks.

I often hear from individuals that they are feeling overwhelmed right now and that they have lost sight of themselves. I think this is due to neglecting passion, fun, and enjoyment in life in order to maintain consistency and stability in our lives. I think now is the time to remember who you are in addition to family and work obligations and bring the passions back in.

Need some help getting started? Here are a few things that might help:

anything. Dream big, then look at the list and see what you could make happen today and plan for in the future.

Slow start.

You do not have to dive in full speed ahead. Choose one small thing each day to try and remember that a bike ride in town is still a bike ride and it is okay to build your way back up.

Setting up your art supplies or giving yourself a few minutes each day is progress.

Submitted image

“I think now is the time to remember who you are in addition to family and work obligations and bring the passions back in.”

I am.

Write out all of the aspects of you. Think about roles, what you enjoy most in life, activities you used to do, and how others see you. Often times that feeling of being overwhelmed comes from not consistently living your values in life. For example, knowing that you are a reader but have not given yourself time to cozy up with a good book in months. Or, knowing that volunteering brings you joy but you cannot remember the last time you did.

Make a list.

Connect to others.

Make a list of the people who mean something to you in life and make a goal of contacting one each week.

If you are in a relationship, ask your partner to have a conversation where you just dream, no practicalities of why you can or cannot do anything just allow yourself to dream and see what emerges.

One day at a time.

Take each day as it comes. It is okay if some days are better than others. It is okay to have days full of passion and others full of responsibility. Find the balance and consider making a goal of doing one thing each day that brings you joy.

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

No holds barred just write a list out of all the things you could do if you could do FERNIEFIX.COM

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Bits and Bytes

THE ANSWER GUY

Windows Restore Recovery

by KEVIN MCISAAC Recently a computer stopped working properly at Mrs. Answer Guy’s office. The Start button and other Windows-related applications wouldn’t work, though 3rd party applications continued to operate normally. This is unusual. Typically when Windows has a serious enough problem 3rd party applications are the first to fail.

checked and click the Next button. At this point, the computer will start assembling the files. It will ask you to insert a USB drive and then click the Next button.

Windows will now copy all the system files to the USB drive. This will take a while.

Make sure you use Windows Explorer to eject the drive before removing it.

The symptoms pointed to a failed Windows update. Some systems files were corrupted. This can happen for other reasons such as viruses but in this case, knowing the bad behaviour started right after an update was a good clue; if not definitive. The first thing I usually do in these situations is roll back the update.

Now that you have a recovery drive. If Windows fails, you can use it to restore Windows. To use it, insert the USB drive while the computer is off. Turn on the computer.Your computer may boot up to the Windows Recovery Environment or you may need to repeatedly tap whichever key is used on your computer to get to USB boot. Depending on your computer it may be the SHIFT, DEL, F12, F11, F8, F2, or F1 key to get it to appear. Then in the Advanced Startup Options screen choose the Use a Device option to boot from USB.

Check your ability to restore to an earlier time by going to the Windows search bar next to the Start button and typing ‘Create Restore.’You should see an option Create a Restore Point. Choose that and then click the Configure button in the dialogue box. Ensure that the Turn on system protection radio button is checked. At the bottom, check for Disk Space Usage.

Somewhere around 8GB is usually plenty to store several restore points.

With that enabled, anytime your system is updated or a new application is installed a restore point will be created.

Note, you need to have it set up before you have a problem.

Another thing you can do in advance of a problem to make it easier to restore is to create a recovery drive. A recovery drive is a copy of your Windows system which you can use to reinstall Windows if you have a catastrophic failure.

“Recently a computer stopped working properly at Mrs. Answer Guy’s office.”

Note that this is not a backup of your computer.You should back up your files regularly and separately.You will lose all applications and files during recovery. This option is for when nothing works at all.

You can recover windows and then restore from your backup and be back in business.

But you need both the recovery drive and a backup.

To create a recovery drive, you’ll need a USB drive at least 16GB in size. It should be empty as the process of creating the recovery drive will completely erase the USB drive.

In the Windows’ search bar next to the Start button type ‘Create recovery.’

You should see an option Create a recovery drive. Answer yes to allowing the application to make changes to your computer. Make sure the Backup system files to the recovery drive checkbox is

Once you’re in the Windows Recovery Environment you can choose to Recover from a drive. It will give you the option of restoring with removing your files or doing a full clean of the drive before restoring. Use the latter option if you’re selling or recycling your computer. I also will use this option if the computer has been infected and the malware cannot be completely removed.

The Windows Recovery drive is a lastditch option, but it can often get your computer back up and running when all else fails.

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Bits and Bytes

ASTROLOGY

June 2022

by ASHLEY KRISTINA Happy June! The Sun travels through Gemini until June 21 where it moves into Cancer and marks the Summer Solstice the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Pluto continues to travel in retrograde in the last degrees of Capricorn making us relive themes around power and intensity and creating deep internal transformation and regeneration. Mercury leaves its retrograde in the late degrees of Taurus on June 3 and turns direct to travel through Gemini again. The month of June is very important for communication as planets move through Gemini (Sun,Venus and Mercury) over the month. Saturn goes into

retrograde in the early degrees of Aquarius June 5 and travels retrograde until October 23, 2022. Pluto and Saturn travelling retrograde together were major themes during COVID lockdowns so there’s potential for some level of restrictions to occur. There is also the theme of restriction and essentially a lack of power/sovereignty with Pluto and Saturn (again) retrograde in the sky. Mars and Jupiter travel in the sky in Aries so our willpower can bring change: what we do makes great advancements.

The full moon occurs at 6am June 14 with the sun and moon sitting across from each other in the zodiac. At this time, Mars will also be tightly conjunct Chiron, the wound.

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It’s important for people to not operate out of their wound, this can indicate the surfacing of aggression, so awareness is helpful.

The new moon is June 28 at 9 pm with the sun and moon both sitting at 7 degree of cancer in the sky. The Solstice marks a time of epiphanies and inspiration.

Aries It’s a month to take action and lots can happen especially in the first week. Be wary as Mars (your ruling sign) comes to join Chiron (the wound) in the middle of the month and be extra careful to mind your manners. Angry outbursts from self or other are very possible with this conjunction.

Taurus It’s a popular month for you, good for romance and general interactions with others. It’s also a time of change as we are in the Taurus-Scorpio axis eclipse portal this year so expect major life-changing events to occur over the next six months.

Trust the process.

Gemini Happy birthday! It’s a refreshing month after a bit of a stagnant winter and spring.

The community and group of people drive your attention and it’s a month to shine in your art of communication. A feeling of revival.

Cancer

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Happy birthday to you early decan Cancers! It’s a month focused on work and career and everything dealing with responsibility. It’s a refreshing time and feels like a new beginning, a launch of something or perhaps your own refreshing energy.

“Astrology” continued on next page FERNIEFIX.COM

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“It’s important for people to not operate out of their wound, this can indicate the surfacing of aggression, so awareness is helpful.”

Leo June is a great month to travel, teach or learn something exciting and foreign. It’s a time of seeking meaning in a spiritual way and thus a time of growth and expansion into different places, themes, cultures, languages and even foreign foods.

Virgo A time where attaining money and also fortune with finances and potentially even inheritances mark the theme. It’s also a month where there is greater interest into the occult: religion, tarot, astrology and various forms of sexuality.

Libra Relationship and partnership are your major theme this month. This can be romantic, work-related or friend-related, but the major theme is expansion with one-on-one relations. If you want a new relationship, of whatever sort, it’s a good month to be proactive about it.

Scorpio A month focused on healing- which includes the mundane things such as the daily work schedules, cleaning and the health of the physical body. It’s a time to declutter space and create a mastered environment: clean, tidy, serene, organized.

It’s a very strong and powerful month for you.

Sagittarius The full moon is in your sign so notice how it might illuminate some aspects of your subconscious. It’s a balancing month and a great time to evaluate how you are feeling/where you need to focus some energy.

Capricorn Home and family are your focus this month. A possibility for renovations around the home or even a movement of the home location. It’s an energizing month - make sure to use this energy in healthy ways.

Aquarius Communication is a major theme for you this month and it’s probably best to team up with the other air signs (Gemini, Libra) to have as much fun as possible. It’s a great time to teach and share your knowledge, perhaps run a workshop or publish something.

Pisces This month is focused on your immediate security such as a stable income, a good home to live in, and lots of self-care such as sleep and good food. Energy security is very important and is the basics for all other aspects of life.

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Bits and Bytes

THROUGH THE LENS

Light, Through Your Lens

John Pelechosky Photo I always find summer in the Rocky Mountains of Fernie a fantastic escape for me and my canine companion. Every day is a new adventure and the wonderful memories created will last a lifetime. You don’t have to have to go anywhere special but just get out and experience the beautiful flora and fauna as well as everything else Mother Nature has to offer. That’s the best thing about having a canine companion, you always have an excuse to get outside and take in the wonder of nature’s beauty.

On this particular day, we just started wandering on one of the local trails with no particular goal in mind. The sun was shining and there was beauty all around us. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe unless you’re there... the forest pulls you in like a novel you just can’t put down. The lush green forest, a babbling brook, the occasional curious animal, the bright warm sunshine, the lovely blue sky, and of course the rugged Rocky Mountains. Another beautiful day in the Rocky Mountains of Fernie!

Rayelin Asselin Photo This is gorgeous example of a first gen Nova captured in the evening light at a Kelowna autocross event. You wouldn’t believe how fast and well set up this car was, especially as it is so old. If you don’t know what Autocross is, essentially you set up a track with cones in a parking lot and anyone can enter their vehicle and race. Streetcats Automotive is holding four Autocross events in Cranbrook this summer and we are super excited! It’s the only motorsport we have in this area and it’s been a lot of work and planning to make it happen. Visit streetcatsautomotive.com for more info.

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Bits and Bytes

SO CIAL PAGE

Out in the Community: How do you celebrate Summer Solstice and/or enjoy the longer days of the year?

Ashley Lattie

Bernie Pulsifer The long days of summer are extra special to many of us who are lucky to call the Elk Valley home. There are so many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in our area. I enjoy visiting some of the more remote areas of our valley in the summer which are not easily accessible during the winter.

Jeffrey Steel

I look forward to the first time mowing the grass, my flowers blooming, planting our garden even though this year it might be in July at this rate. Campfires and forest adventures. Seeing those first days of sunshine and how the town just seems more energetic. People biking and smiling. But my favourite thing about summer solstice is it’s also my birthday!

Kerri Wall

Longer days = longer plays!

I love that there is so much daylight and I’m able to do outdoor activities after work.

My favourites are mountain biking, dirt jumping, and lake swimming. One of my favourite Fernie memories is Summer Solstice in 2016 - it was also a full moon, which I think is a once-in-a-lifetime event! I dirt jumped that night past 10:30pm.

The sun is shining longer for after work fun with my family. This new dad is looking forward to the splash pad, river walks and time in the parks. The late sunsets leave a little more time to hang with the lads too, golfing, fishing, playing music and enjoying the awesome Fernie summer.

Andy Ward Bikes, bikes, bikes… Longer days means more epic rides including the EVST summer solstice ride where we once again pedal from dawn until dusk (literally!). I’ll be spending the actual longest day with the two most important people in my life, camping and enjoying a relaxing campfire.

FYI June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada, announced in 1996 by the then Governor General of Canada (Romeo LeBlanc) through the Proclamation Declaring June 21 of Each Year as National Aboriginal Day. This happened as a result of consultations and statements of support from various Indigenous groups. This day is also significant because it is a day many Indigenous peoples and communities celebrate their heritage. In 2017, the name was changed to National Indigenous Peoples Day as it uses the terminology used in the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples UNDRIP. Did you know un.org has a lot of resources to better understand UNDRIP – an important step towards reconciliation. Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it (Tobacco Plains Indian Band) will be honouring Indigenous Peoples Day in a fun, culturally appropriate way. Details are in the works. tobaccoplains.org

It’s June, and you know what that means… the trails are nearly clear of snow, allowing us to hike, bike and trail run! The month kicks off with FBC’s Trail to Ale. Starting June 1, if you hike, bike, or run Hyperventilation, Project 9 and Swine Flu within 24 hours you not only get a free pint (what?!) but also a sticker!

Also taking place this month is the Elk Valley Suicide Task Force Solstice Ride and the Fernie Gravel Grind events. The Fernie Trails Alliance has kick-started its weekly work parties on Thursdays and watch out for the return of the Women on Wheels weekly rides! Coming soon, the Fernie Mountain Bike Club will re-boot its Little Critter Criteriums, the Shredder Series and 2Knee Tuesday races. And last but certainly not least, join Stag Leap for their weekly run club Thursday nights! Hit up our events calendar online or in this mag for the details and enjoy!

Summer is here, which means summer operations at both Island Lake Lodge and Fernie Alpine Resort begin! Island Lake’s tentative opening date is June 19. Enjoy the many trails, dining opportunities and spa available in this pristine getaway nestled within the Lizard Range. islandlakelodge.com Fernie Alpine Resort opens lift access and its cross-country trails June 25. FAR features lift-access biking and hiking, along with selfpowered opportunities, a variety of dining at the base, and gorgeous views as always. skifernie.com Spectacular views at Fernie Alpine Resort | V. Croome Photo

This June, the RDEK is holding a Public Hearing in regards to the Galloway Lands rezoning application, a parcel of land situated between Fernie Alpine Resort and the Mount Fernie Provincial Park. The public hearing will be held over three nights, June 14-16 via zoom and will allow for additional dates as needed. Anyone interested in speaking needs to register in advance, and the livestream will be available for all too observe. All written submissions received between now and the submission deadline will be included in the report and form an official part of the public report. Submissions can be directed to Krista Gilbert at the RDEK (kgilbert@rdek.bc.ca) rdek.bc.ca FERNIEFIX.COM

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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 sun.

Can you find it?

Name These Businesses or Locations

Answers Last Month

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

Fernie Golf Club sign, Fernie Secondary School, Le Bon Pain, Post Office