Fernie Fix October 2020 by Claris Media

OCTOBER 2020 | ISSUE 166

THE

harvest ISSUE

IN THIS ISSUE: Feature Resident, Gaëtane Carignan and Feature Artist, The Banner Project. Plus, let’s talk about the art of gardening, sowing the seeds of kindness, fall trailwork and heading into a new season with a perfect squat. FERNIEFIX.COM

2020 VIRTUAL

FER NIE BUS INES S EXCELL ENCE AWAR DS

VIRTUAL AWARDS PRESENTATION Date: Friday October 23, 2020 TIME: 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM MDT Location: Virtual Event Streamed via Zoom

NEW THIS YEAR Purchase a Local Celebration Kit: everything you need to have a classy evening at home watching the business award presentations!

REGISTER For more information, to register or purchase a celebration kit visit visit ferniechamber.com or contact Kalina at 250-423-6868 or members@ferniechamber.com

EDITOR’S FIX p5 BUSINESS IN THE VALLEY p6 Business News It’s in the Numbers by Roman Rybar, CFP Preparing for the ‘New Retirement’

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT p10 Feature Artist – The Banner Project by Louise Ferguson ArtBeat - The Art of Gardening by Michael Hepher At Peace and Yet On Fire – The Colour Wheel by Sadie Rosgen Rental Fix – The Children Act by Andrew Vallance Events This Month

COMMUNITY p20 Feature Resident - Gaëtane Carignan by Krista Turcasso City Corner - Closing the Information Gap by Ange Qualizza Planning Ahead - Winter is Coming by Kerri Wall

RECREATION AND OUTDOOR LIFE p25 Hitting the Trails - Fall Trail Work by Julie Kelly Fernie Mountain Mamas – Tradition by Yvonne Prest

OCTOBER 2020 | ISSUE 166 THE

HARVEST ISSUE

HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE p27 Bark Break - Pumpkin Pie Dog Treats by Val Lanthier Elements of Movement – May the Squat Be With You by Maddy Alaric This is Life by Tyla Charbonneau The Seeds of Kindness

BITS AND BYTES p31 The Answer Guy – Gmail Confidential Mode by Kevin McIsaac Astrology – October 2020 by Ashley Kristina

FERNIE FUN p34 The Last Page

COVER: Fernie Sunflower. Photo by Olivier Thorlakson THIS PAGE: Ponderosa Pals. Photo by Emily Park Photography, @ emilyparkphotographyfernie FERNIEFIX.COM

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

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. TYLA CHARBONNEAU is a Registered Psychologist (CPBC2385), dog momma, and nature lover. She loves talking with others about mindfulness, self-compassion, 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. YVONNE PREST wears a lot of hats: New mom, writer, teacher, councillor, chips and salsa fanatic. Her favourite hat is being a Fernie-ite.

MICHAEL HEPHER is a painter, printmaker, sculptor and musician living and working in Fernie. His work is collected internationally and

FERNIE FIX | FERNIEFIX.COM

Editor’s Fix By Krista Turcasso, Editor Every tree, every growing thing as it grows, say this truth, you harvest what you sow. ~Rumi IT’S always been there, in the background. The knowing and understanding and need to be self sustainable. But, life kept on rolling. Our daily schedules filling. We’ll get to that… Then COVID-19 hit, and I have to say thank goodness it’s been a slow progression, as I learned while working on this issue that we have three days… three… of supply chain food here in Fernie. It really makes you think about what you rely on. This spring, we planted our seeds and we grew heaps of vegetables. Enjoying the greens throughout the summer, this fall we have been harvesting our root veggies… and we have heaps! Yaaaaay… but wait. Our house has in-floor heating throughout. Our garage, even. Where can we store this food? Luckily my dad is Italian and he built a cold room into his basement 30 years ago. Otherwise, we might be out of luck. I have always had gardens, but never really thought about these issues. What I have come to realize is that COVID has taught us how to sow… to plan and prepare and work hard for change and difference and growth. The fruits of this labour will come, but we need to keep on keeping on. It’s there for us all.

CONNECT WITH US @FERNIEFIX

The harvest awaits.

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 • 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

Business in the Valley

NEW BUSINESS

Submitted Photo

Colour Infusion 403-688-1137, colourinfusion.ca NORJA is the Creative Director at Colour Infusion, a unique marketing studio that takes a holistic approach to working with entrepreneurs and small businesses. COVID-19 has created an atmosphere of stress and anxiety for most but also unique opportunities for entrepreneurs. Norja can help with both. Trained extensively in effective marketing techniques from first-hand experience, she can help grow your business. Conversely, her training in Usui/Karuna Reiki and Brainspotting™ (working with underlying negative experiences which often contribute to anxiety and depression) allows entrepreneurs to break through emotional blockages that may be limiting their success.

BUSINESS NEWS

Submitted Photo

Fernie Food Action Strategy

NEW BUSINESS

communityenergy.ca/projects/ foodaction/

ferniewoodcrafters.com

THE Fernie Food Action Strategy is committed to identifying opportunities to improve access to local food in the City of Fernie and surrounding areas. This survey provides an opportunity for you to share your experience, successes and challenges with local food access, growing, and processing. The information from the survey will be used as a first step in developing strategies to address community food resiliency.

The Community Energy Association and Wildsight Elk Valley would like to acknowledge the support of the Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia. Survey participation makes you eligible Norja has recently launched a course to enter a draw for one of three $25 gift entitled “Video for the Camera Shy and certificates to the new Fernie Local Food Solopreneur.” The course is designed to Store. Participation is for Fernie and area help entrepreneurs gain the confidence to residents, is voluntary, anonymous and create video for their business. should take 15 to 30 minutes. The more Norja invites you to visit her at Inside Out candid and thoughtful information you can share, the better the team can develop Fernie Wellness where she is conducting an accurate view of the community’s Reiki and Brainspotting™ sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She is offering free, food needs. no-obligation 15-minute consultations.

Fernie Woodcrafters ESTABLISHED in 2020 as a subsidiary of Canmore Woodcrafters which was established in 1979, Fernie Woodcrafters’ owner Brian Salzgeber now resides in Fernie, BC and looks forward to sharing the company’s quality craftsmanship and experience throughout the Elk Valley. Their number one goal is to make the very best products available anywhere. “We do that by surrounding ourselves with an amazing team - people who set the bar high and embody standards we all aspire to live up to.” Quality people, going beyond, flexibility, and minimizing environmental footprint are core values to Fernie Woodcrafters.Visit their site, email info@ ferniewoodcrafters.com or call 250-4239686 to learn more.

Business in the Valley

Submitted Photo

BUSINESS NEWS

Submitted Photo

The Local Store

The Mustard Seed Design Studio

Rooftop Coffee Roasters

891 2nd Ave

themustardseeddesignstudio.com

THE Local Store - a mountain market store is opening its doors in October 2020.

THE Mustard Seed is a boutique branding and web design studio specializing in strategic branding solutions that are meaningful, unique and beautifully crafted to help grow businesses to the next level.

492 2nd Ave rooftopcoffeeroasters.com

NEW BUSINESS

Local is currently in the process of converting the Wildsight Office into a market-style store. People familiar with the Fernie Mountain Market, a Sunday summertime staple in Rotary Park, will recognize various vendors that are working with the Local Store to provide residents and visitors with year-round access to local food and produce. Local will also have an online retail store where customers can order from various vendors and then either collect their orders from the Local Store or utilize the delivery option. Local is actively seeking volunteers to help run and support the store, if you are interested in learning more head over to wildsight.ca/local.

Christine is the creative behind The Mustard Seed Design Studio. She is a qualified Graphic Designer who loves working with visionaries, entrepreneurs, dreamers and go-getters by bringing form to their innovative ideas. The Mustard Seed believes that design has the ability to transform a brand, tell a story and grow a business. They know the importance of making a lasting impression with the right audience from the outset. Their goal is not only to provide beautiful visuals but to take the time to understand who their clients are and what their brand is to ensure the brand story is crafted authentically. To find out more, check out their website or social media @ themustardseeddesignstudio.

AFTER brainstorming ideas all summer, Rooftop Coffee Roasters is excited to announce their newest packaging re-design, created in collaboration with designer Yaiza Saratxaga. The goal of the design was to create a compostable bag that uses colour and illustration to highlight Rooftop’s beautiful hometown of Fernie while also communicating each coffee’s flavour profile. Each of their six core flavour categories is associated with an illustration and colour palette. For instance, coffees with predominant tasting notes of berry are associated with an illustration of fresh huckleberries, and blends are represented by a design of Mount Fernie. From these core designs, each label is then a close-up snapshot of the main illustration, giving each coffee within that category a unique identity. All side-by-side on a shelf, these bags create a mosaic of colours and shapes, embodying both the spectrum of coffees on Rooftop’s menu and the vibrant town where they were roasted. FERNIEFIX.COM

photos courtesy of Fernie Chamber of Commerce

Our Commitment to Community This is our fifth year as title sponsor of the Fernie Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence awards and we are prouder than ever to be part of such a resilient business community. The Elk Valley continues to show consistently amazing achievements despite very demanding circumstances. i n f o @no rthc o a l.c a | 7 7 8 .518.0775

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Business in the Valley

IT’S IN THE NUMBERS

Preparing for the ‘New Retirement’ by ROMAN RYBAR, CFP A generation or so ago, people didn’t just retire from work – many of them also withdrew from a whole range of social and community activities. But now, it’s different: The large Baby Boom cohort, and no doubt future ones, are seeking an active lifestyle and continued involvement in their communities and the world. So, what should you know about this “new retirement” and how can you prepare for it? For starters, consider what it means to be a retiree today. The 2020 Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study has identified these four interrelated, key ingredients, along with the connected statistics, for living well in the new retirement: • Health – While physical health may decline with age, emotional intelligence – the ability to use emotions in positive ways – actually improves. Forty-eight percent of Boomers (age 56-74) and two-thirds of the Silent Gen (age 75+) rate their mental health as very good to excellent. The strong mental health of many retirees may help them cope with their physical conditions. However, not surprisingly, retirees fear Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia more than any physical ailment, including cancer or infectious diseases, according to the “Four Pillars” study. • Family – Retirees get their greatest emotional nourishment from family relationships – and they’ll do anything it takes to help support those family members, even if it means sacrificing their own financial security. Conversely, retirees lacking close connections with family and friends are at risk for all the negative consequences resulting from physical and social isolation.

• Purpose – Eighty-nine percent of Canadians feel that there should be more ways for retirees to use their talents and knowledge for the benefit of their communities and society at large. Retirees want to spend their time in useful, rewarding ways – and they’re well capable of doing so, given their decades of life experience. Retirees with a strong sense of purpose have happier, healthier lives and report a higher quality of life. • Finances – Retirees are less interested in accumulating more wealth than they are in having sufficient resources to achieve the freedom to live their lives as they choose.Yet, more than one third of Canadian retirees find that managing money in retirement can be even more challenging than saving for it. And the “unknowns” can be scary: Almost three quarters of those who plan to retire in the next 10 years say they have no idea what their healthcare and long-term care costs will be in retirement.

Stock Photo So, if you’re getting close to retirement, and you’re considering these factors, how can you best integrate them into a fulfilling, meaningful way of life? You’ll want to take a “holistic” approach by asking yourself some key questions: What do you want to be able to do with your time and money? Are you building the resources necessary to enjoy the lifestyle you’ve envisioned? Are you prepared for the increasing costs of health care as you age? Have you taken the steps to maintain your financial independence, and avoid burdening your family, in case you need some type of longterm care? Have you created the estate plans necessary to leave the type of legacy you desire? By addressing these and other issues, possibly with the help of a financial professional, you can set yourself on the path toward the type of retirement that’s not really a retirement at all – but rather a new, invigorating chapter of your life.You can read more about the Four Pillars of the New Retirement by visiting edwardjones. ca/newretirement. FERNIEFIX.COM

Arts and Entertainment

The Banner Project by Louise Ferguson

FEATURE ARTIST

The Fernie Banner Project highlights the diversity of the artistic community of the Elk Valley and brings Fernie’s downtown to life, celebrating the imagery and identity of the city. The banners feature local artwork in a variety of mediums with local residents submitting their work to be selected by an independent jury. This project is open to all ages and abilities which is an amazing opportunity for your artwork to be featured in public. The Fernie banners are hung in historic downtown and on the highway, displaying beautiful artwork for all to enjoy. The Fernie Banner Project began in 2005 when Linda Hide approached the City of Fernie with her proposal. The project was accepted and remains much the same today, as it was then, with a lot of involvement from The Arts Station. In 2005 there were 32 banners; today there are 39. The first year, artists submitted their original art pieces and Kevin McIsaac took photos in the Arts Station theatre. After that, artists submitted their work on memory sticks. In 2020, The Arts Station took on the full administration of the project with operational support of putting the banners up by the City of Fernie (Thank you!) This saw the introduction of online applications, which was perfect timing, as during the entry period The Arts Station building was shut due to the pandemic. The new online format worked wonderfully to ensure the project could still go ahead! We were very impressed by all the local residents, both young and old, who were able to adjust to this new way of applying with very little help. Online tutorials via our Youtube channel assisted in the process as well as a teen workshop led by local artist Tara Higgins, and the Fernie Youth

Action Network. We had a tremendous number of applications in 2020 with the youngest being five years old and many teens making the final 39. Next year we have plans to introduce a youth category so that our budding artists get a better opportunity to have their banners selected. The banners are available for sponsorship at the launch every year when they are shown to the public for the first time, normally in the Station theatre, before being hung downtown. After the two years on display the sponsor then gets to keep the banner as long as it survives the two years in the Fernie elements, at least one always has to be fished from the Elk River! The Fernie community is always wonderful at collecting any rogues and returning them to us. They look wonderful displayed in a garden or poolside, or even indoors. For 2020 we could not have an in person launch, again due to the pandemic, so instead we featured them on our website where they could also be sponsored. The last few years we have had a People’s Choice for the community to select their favourite, this year Tyra Collombin was the winner! The project has been so successful over the years there hasn’t been a need to change much and we are often asked from other communities how it is done. Massive thank you to Donna Miller and the rest of the Banner committee who has ensured that the project continues year after year, the City of Fernie for their support as well as the community for submitting their artwork and sponsoring banners. Visit theartsstation.com to sponsor a 2020 banner… there are only a few left!

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Arts and Entertainment

ARTBEAT

The Art of Gardening by MICHAEL HEPHER EVERY fall our garden grows out of a hope that when you plant a seed in the spring, it will be a mature plant at harvest time. The pulling up of carrots, the canning of beans, the dicing of tomatoes—these things are the symbolic closing of the backyard gardener’s loop as it passes through hope, nurture, harvest, and enjoyment. Artists, like plants, aren’t born—they are grown. A person may have an aptitude for creativity, but the idea of an overnight sensation is a myth. By the time artists are noticed publicly, most have put in years of thought and hard work and passion. Much like our attempts at backyard gardening, it’s a process more complex than just sticking some seeds in the ground and waiting. There are no shortcuts. We grow our skills. We nurture our talent. We weed out the imperfections in our compositions. The natural parallels between how plants are grown and how art is made got me thinking about how the conditions needed to make edible vegetables might also help to grow artists. Wherever you’re at in your art-or-gardening career, maybe these green-thumb tips can help you germinate those creative seeds into something more:

Choose the right location I started my artistic career in a town up the highway about an hour. It is a great community full of great people, but I struggled getting traction for my art. Our move to Fernie facilitated a rapid growth in my work simply by being situated in a supportive environment, surrounded by passionate people to learn and grow with.

Start Small Too many ideas and techniques means

Know when to plant All of our lives have seasons. If you’re working full-time, or have a newborn in the house, maybe it’s not the time to jumpstart your art career. On the other hand, carving out a daily drawing getaway might be just the thing you need to get through the week. It’s about knowing when you’re ready to take it up a notch and make your garden bigger. When you’re ready don’t hesitate—it’s scary, but do it anyway. Regret is a worse pain than fear.

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice The Gardener by Michael Hepher

“Artists, like plants, aren’t born—they are grown.” you’ll be spread thin, and take a long time to get proficient. Start with projects you know you can manage. It’s important for an artist to feel like they are succeeding and to do that you need to start with manageable projects. That doesn’t mean you should avoid challenges, but be realistic about what you have time and ability to do.

Start with the easy-growers Everyone has a pen or pencil laying around! Drawing is not easy, but its simplicity makes it low-hanging fruit for would-be artists. Not only that but drawing is the foundation of most of the other visual practices, so it’s a great way to learn the art of ‘seeing’ and make a habit of creating. Draw a plant, draw a face, draw a pile of squash. Even a few minutes a day will improve your skills steadily and all you need is a pencil and some paper.YouTube is a great resource for free tutorials to help build the fundamentals of sketching.

Experienced artists are generally very glad to pass on knowledge and ideas. I think it’s because sharing our knowledge lends validity to our own journey—knowing that someone wants to follow us down the garden path is affirming and gratifying.

Have fun My mom always planted a party of bright flowers in the front garden. There didn’t seem to be a pattern or method, just a riot of colours and blooms she liked. Follow your muse. There has to be something in it for the artist too—if you can look forward to your next project then it won’t feel like a burden to do some weeding now and then. Now is the time of year when we start to see the fruit of our labours—it’s an exciting time for gardeners. When you take a crisp bite of that carrot fresh from the garden, it’s easy to forget all the time you spent sowing, weeding and watering. And so it is with our art that unless we take on all those small tasks between seed and sampling to nurture our creative growth, we won’t get to feel the hope and satisfaction of the harvest. FERNIEFIX.COM

THINK. DO. REACT. CARE. TREAT. SOOTHE.

BECOME.

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Arts and Entertainment

AT PEACE AND YET ON FIRE

The Colour Wheel by SADIE ROSGEN

“Great art picks up where nature ends” - Marc Chagall When I first met Ashley Wolodka, I was instantly attracted to the fire in her eyes. This Nova Scotian beauty is a full force gale of excitement and enthusiasm! Naturally when she gushed about being an artist, I was quick to check out her instagram page and connect with her post haste. I am transfixed by her work and her. Having lived in Nova Scotia myself, I could appreciate this remarkable landscape depicted and its prevailing abstract genesis. Her work has inspired me this month to create a poem influenced by one of her many incredible pieces, High Tide. High Tide by Ashley Wolodka

The Colour Wheel By Sadie Rosgen, poem inspired by the painting High Tide by Ashley Wolodka can you watch me? tide is in seafoam sparkling street sounds obsolete my effervescence mixed with yours forgetting why we closed those doors my memory plays on as I paint faint from the intensity of the past paint fumes and the opal essence I’m gathering treasure for you to see

primary pigment this is everything to me distillation of landscape in colour my eyes outside In all of this colour is where I hide safe free hues whiling like a blanket of flowing arms embrace

abstract illustrative organization here in lies my fascination with everything saturated sanctity enriched reality come with me

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Arts and Entertainment

THE RENTAL FIX

The Children Act by ANDREW VALLANCE THE Children Act is a 2017 drama based on Ian McEwan’s 2014 novel of the same name. The background of the film is the British legal system which represents children when there is a conflict between the welfare of the child and the interests of the parents. The central character in the film is Fiona Maye, a judge in the Family Division of the High Court, who must rule upon a case where a 17-year-old boy requires a blood transfusion to help cure him of leukemia. The conflict lies with his parents, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses and believe that having a blood transfusion is forbidden by their religion. The film features Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci and Fionn Whitehead in the major roles. Thompson plays Fiona Maye, a judge who visits the boy in hospital to determine whether or not his wishes are being influenced unduly by his family. The two establish a relationship that results in the boy stalking her after his release from hospital. Thompson is one of Britain’s most acclaimed actresses. In the early 1990s, she often collaborated with her thenhusband, actor and director Kenneth Branagh, the pair co-starring in several films, including Dead Again (1991) and Much Ado About Nothing (1993). In 1992, Thompson won an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress for the period drama Howards End. In 1993, she garnered dual Academy Award nominations for her roles in The Remains of the Day and In the Name of the Father. Thompson scripted and starred in Sense and Sensibility (1995), which earned her numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, which makes her the only person to receive Academy Awards for both acting and writing, and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress.

Other notable film and television credits include the Harry Potter film series (2004–2011), and, more recently, Men in Black: International (2019), Late Night (2019), and the BBC/HBO series Years and Years (2019). I like Thompson a lot, and in this film she absolutely stands out. The rest of the movie, however, is not great. Stanley Tucci plays the judge’s husband, a neglected husband, made less sympathetic when compared to the issues faced by both his wife and the cancer-ridden teenager. Fionn Whitehead is best known for playing the lead role in the 2017 film Dunkirk.

Weeks after he finished Dunkirk, he was cast as the teenager in The Children Act. His portrayal does not achieve the sympathy it deserves in spite of the tragedy of the boy’s situation. Unfortunately, he comes across as annoying and selfish. The original novel probably provided a more nuanced view of the teenager’s behaviour, but the film hasn’t been able to capture that in the short time allowed. Our sympathy tends to lie more with the judge who finds herself in an extremely difficult situation as she tries to gently divert the boy’s attention away from her. If you are a fan of Emma Thompson, this is a film you should check out. If not, give it a miss.

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Arts and Entertainment

EVENT CALENDAR

MONTHLY EVENTS Saturday 3.10.2020 Fernie Mountain Bike Club High Roller @ Fernie Trails, 9am Sunday 4.10.2020 Ironman Open @ Fernie Golf Club Fernie Virtual Snow Science Workshop @ Virtually. vssw2020.com Monday 5.10.2020 World Teachers Day @ Elk Valley Schools. How can you show your appreciation? Fernie Virtual Snow Science Workshop @ Virtually. vssw2020.com Tuesday 6.10.2020 Fernie Virtual Snow Science Workshop @ Virtually. vssw2020.com Wednesday 7.10.2020 Wheels in the Valley - Bi-Monthly Cruise @ The Legion, 6pm Saturday 10.10.2020 World Mental Health Day

Tuesday 13.10.2020 Fernie Youth Art Collective: Renne Hopper Mixed Media @ The Arts Station, 6pm Regular Council Meeting @ City of Fernie, 7pm Thursday 15.10.2020 Discover Yoga @ Essential Yoga Studio, runs weekly for six weeks. Learn yoga with other newbies! Saturday 17.10.2020 Macrame Shelf @ Elkford Art Studio, 12pm Monday 19.10.2020 Autumn Soup Cleanse @ Essential Yoga Studio. Four-day cleanse to reset the body and mind. Virtual Ambassador Program @ College of the Rockies, 12:30pm Committee of the Whole Meeting @ City of Fernie, 1pm

Wednesday 21.10.2020 Virtual Workshop - Modern Marketing for Small Business @ Fernie Chamber of Commerce, 12pm Friday 23.10.2020 Fernie Chamber of Commerce Virtual Business Awards @ Zoom, 6pm-9:30pm Saturday 24.10.2020 Provincial Election Voting Day @ TBD Monday 26.10.2020 Regular Council Meeting @ City of Fernie, 7pm Tuesday 27.10.2020 Fernie Youth Art Collective: Joni Bouchard Art on Canvas @ The Arts Station, 6pm Teen Book Club: A Night Divided by Jennifer A Nielson @ Fernie Heritage Library, 7:30pm. Teens across the Kootenays meet the authors online!

Tuesday 20.10.2020 Fernie Youth Art Collective: Dejana Lukas Drawing @ The Arts Station, 6pm Read Local Book Club: The Things Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Be Leaving Behind by Vanessa Farnsworth @ Fernie Heritage Library, 7:30pm. An online book club featuring authors from the Kootenay region.

Friday 30.10.2020 BOO! Virtual Storytime Event @ Fernie Heritage Library, 11:15am Tea and Talk Book Club @ Fernie Heritage Library, 1:30pm Trick or Treat @ Fernie Heritage Library Garden, 3:30pm

Mondays Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page

Team Trivia @ The Fernie Meet Draw @ The Legion

Saturdays Shawarma Take Out @ Fernie Hotel, 4pm

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 Parent-tot Funtimes @ Facebook Page

Thursdays InterActive Hour @ Zoom, 10am Bellies to Babies @ Zoom, 2pm FTA Trail Work @ Dirt Jump Park, 6pm

Sundays Roast and Beats @ Infinitea, 6pm

Sunday 11.10.2020 Thanksgiving Roast @ Infinitea, $15 with all the trimmings! Monday 12.10.2020 Thanksgiving Monday Turkey Tombstone @ Fernie Golf Club

Saturday 31.10.2020 Halloween

WEEKLY EVENTS

Wednesdays Curbside Challenge for school-aged kids @ with the Fernie Heritage Library Toddlertime (Ages 0-2 years) @ Fernie Heritage Library. 11:15am Fernie Women on Wheels @ Bike Park, 6:30pm

Fridays Fernie Women on Wheels @ Bike Park, 9:30am Storytime (ages 0-5) @ Fernie Heritage Library. 11:15am Fish and Chips Take Away @ Fernie Hotel, 4pm Meat Draw @ The Fernie Live Music @ Infinitea

As things change and evolve, additional events may be added to the calendar. Make sure to stay up to date by visiting FernieFix.com/events

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FEATURE RESIDENT

Gaëtane Carignan by KRISTA TURCASSO MY dad is an Italian immigrant. Their family of seven worked hard to ensure there was food on the table, and a big part of that was an extensive garden. According to my dad, their entire yard was garden and it was my Nonno’s hard work and dedication that made it flourish. This spring, I understood my Nonno’s need to till and plant and grow. I have been experimenting with gardening for the last ten years but it wasn’t until the onset of COVID-19 that it felt like a necessity. This fall when I learned about the Fernie Food Action Strategy, a bit of that weight was lifted, recognizing we are not alone. Dawn Deydey, Wildsight Elk Valley and Gaëtane Carignan, Community Energy Association are the project coordinators of the Fernie Food Action Strategy. This project “envisions a resilient local food system in the Elk Valley, and seeks to work with stakeholders to identify key actions that will alleviate some of the risk to Fernie’s food supply in the medium and long-term.” Both Dawn and Gaëtane have a history of championing local food and food security. I had the opportunity to speak with Gaëtane on her property, where we drank coffee and our daughters played with the goats and pigs and sampled sunflower seeds in the garden. Gaëtane shares with me that she actually grew up right here and never expected to come back to Fernie. With a background in environmental science and agriculture, she just didn’t think there was the opportunity. After studying Environmental Science in Lethbridge, followed by a Masters in Agriculture in Nova Scotia, Gaëtane wanted to use this education and apply it to sustainable agriculture, “which has morphed into regenerative… not

That summer, their family attended Wapiti. Gaëtane had been trying to figure out how she was going to continue her career in Fernie, and she expressed this to her good friend Heather Kerr. “I need to meet the environmental people.” Heather responded, “You need to meet Megan Lohman, who I’m here with. Want me to pimp you out to her?” A month later, Gaëtane had a job as a Community Energy Coordinator. “It was a miracle, and a dream job in Fernie, BC.” Submitted Photo only neutral but having a positive impact through farming. Building the soil, ethical treatment of animals… that was really the draw,” she says. It wasn’t until she took a two-week Permaculture and Design Course that she was able to pull all of the pieces of her education together. “It helped me to see the bigger picture.” Gaëtane first used her education and knowledge working for the Ministry of Forests and Range until she felt pulled to volunteer for a two-year post in Hondurus as a food security advisor at an NGO. It was here she met her husband, Umberto. “His father invited me to do a farm tour, and Umberta was my guide. And that was it!” Umberto and Gaëtane moved back to Canada, and eventually landed in Cranbrook where she worked as an ecologist for a bit. They were looking for houses when Gaëtane’s parents posed a proposition: we have all this land and too much to do, why don’t we renovate the house and share child care, chores and gardening? It was an easy decision for them, moving to Fernie and raising their daughter Jade in the very home Gaëtane grew up in.

Gaëtane is now a manager there, helping local government with their energy and omissions profiles. “We look into where their carbon emissions are coming from and help them to figure out what to do with them.” Another new and big project is the Organic Infrastructure program, “a coordinated approach with the Columbia Valley, Central East Kootenay and Elk Valley, building compost processing facilities for residential composting.”Yes, I can’t help but say as she shares this. This spring, Gaëtane was shocked to learn people were hoarding toilet paper. “Instead of rice and beans and seed.” It made her realize how many of us are not aware of the fragility of our food chain. “The majority of people rely on the grocery stores.” A food security group began on Facebook, and Gaëtane was asked to be an administrator. From this group, they realized they needed a broad approach assessing barriers to accessing or growing local food in the Fernie area, and looking to other communities to see what is already being done. “This is where the strategy came from. Dawn already had seed funding through Wildsight which was used to get through community engagement,” Gaëtane says. With a letter of support from

the City of Fernie, and additional funding from the Real Estate Foundation of BC they are armed to continue their work on this strategy. Currently, Fernie residents can support this initiative by taking the survey online. “The more that participate, the better,” says Gaëtane. “We are also hosting two online engagement sessions and would like to present to council on our findings, with a hope to collaborate. The real motivation is to not just make a report, rather to identity tangible actions and get them done.” Gaëtane’s personal goal is to better understand the different levels of the food system, from the provincial level to the municipal level to the individual level and how as a collective we can implement strategies in one community, and share with others so they can adopt what works for them. “Here are a few key action items, what people want and need in other communities with similar context and have done successfully, with great bylaws and clear guidelines. Setting people up for success, let’s move towards that!” You didn’t have to ‘grow up Italian’ to notice the addition of gardens and green houses in backyards and shared spaces this spring and summer. Clearly, the Food Action Strategy is of great importance to our community - let’s get involved and support this initiative. For more information and to take the survey, visit communityenergy.ca/projects/foodaction/. 1. When did you first arrive in the Valley and what brought you here? I was born here after my parents moved to the area in the 60s from Saskatchewan. 2. Who did you first meet? Growing up, the Browns and the Cannings were neighbours who were like adoptive families to me. I spent a lot of time with both, riding horses, hanging out on the farms, running feral.

3. Do you remember your first general impression of Fernie? I haven’t always appreciated the gifts of this place like I do now. Each season has a unique, intense natural beauty. 4. What keeps you here? We are working to create greater and greater abundance in the garden, food forest, pasture, and in the weedy margins that feed the bees, mice and magpies. Every year yields something new, but in a cold climate like ours we have to wait patiently to enjoy the results of our efforts. 5. Do you have a favourite Fernie pastime? Growing food and dreaming up integrated design elements for our permaculture farm are my favourite past-times. 6. What time of the year do you love most in Fernie, and why?

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I love late summer and fall for the satisfaction of sharing the tasty harvest with friends and family. 7. Where do you see or hope to see Fernie in five years? More people will be able to access local food, participate in urban agriculture, and there will be greater food system resiliency overall.

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8. How do you start your day or what is one of your daily rituals? My family wakes up to open the greenhouse, feed the animals, and harvest a bit of whatever is in season from the garden or food forest. 9. Tell us something people might be surprised to learn about you. I would rather someone else cook the food I grow. 10. Quote to live by: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.The second best time is now.

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CITY CORNER

Closing the Information Gap by ANGE QUALIZZA THERE are four core elements to an asset management plan; people, information, assets and finances. Each element is as important as the next, and right now we are committed to closing the information gap. When reports and studies are at the end of their life span, for example the 2013 Leisure Services Master Plan, it becomes increasingly hard to not only make strategic investment but unlock grant money. If you read nothing else from this article, being successful with grant applications requires current plans. Provincial and federal grant programs are designed right now to reward municipalities that are moving through a robust asset management program, which means they are penalizing municipalities that aren’t. This is one of the many tools being used to force governments to make better decisions, requiring them to actively champion sustainable service delivery so that future generations are not compromised to meet their own needs. It might sound ridiculous to anyone who is still with me after reading the words, ‘asset management,’ but the three things that excite me the most right now are; the Integrated Infrastructure Capital Plan, the Fairy Creek Drinking Water Source Assessment and the Avalanche Assessment Project. What drove the Fairy Creek Water source plan was simply that we do not know enough about the water source, abundance of the source or quality. We are anticipating significant investments in the Fairy Creek water system; switching from chlorine gas to a liquid chlorine treatment, HVAC and electrical work and exploring the requirement for a potential secondary treatment process.

Image by Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Asset Management Program

“...being successful with grant applications requires current plans.” Before commencing that work though, making sure we understood the system in entirety was critical, we want to make sure we are meeting our drinking water needs into the future, and this study will help prioritize and order our investment requirements. The Avalanche Hazard Assessment will ensure the City of Fernie has a thorough and accurate understanding of the current and future avalanche hazards that may impact area within municipal boundaries, and then inform and update our planning documents and bylaws. The Integrated Infrastructure Capital Plan (IICP) phase III was completed with grant funding of nearly $200,000 from the

Union of British Columbia Municipalities. Quite simply, this plan is critical in showing us how and where to invest in either asset renewal, expansion or potentially divestment. It covers utilities, roads, water, sanitary and stormwater networks. It analyzes facilities and closes all kinds of information gaps. Not very long ago, in August of 2017, Council received a report that identified that ‘A number of buildings located at the public works yard have not been maintained adequately over the last thirty years. In 2016, the Quonset building was decommissioned after engineers identified structural issues.’ <August 14, 2017 Public Works Storage Building ‘Grader Bay’, Committee of the Whole>

Having these plans at the forefront of our budget decisions will prevent that kind of scenario in the future. If we are doing our job, committing to asset management will insulate our community from extreme financial impacts like building failure. The IICP provides an analysis and path for a long-term investment horizon, mid-term and short-term. Last year we chased roughly 70 million dollars off the back of a 2013 Leisure Service Master Plan, and that process absolutely taught us about the risk of having such a large information gaps. You might ask why closing the information gap is important, and the simple answer is that to do all of the identified maintenance needs, we do not have enough resources. Knowing which areas need our immediate attention versus which attentions need investment in a few years will help us get Fernie to a place of sustainability, and hopefully unlock more grant opportunities in the future.

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PLANNING AHEAD

Winter is Coming by KERRI WALL WHAT have you planted in your parenting garden lately? Did you sow anything to keep your family nourished in the days ahead? Sometimes it’s only when the weeks are cold and the cellar is empty that we stop to reflect on the fact that we never gathered any nuts when it was still possible. That’s an awfully sad situation to be in.

wife recalled it differently. Then I inquired, “How often did you bathe them? Read to them? Take them somewhere outside the house?” This focused the conversation, and it became clear that he did much less of the parenting than she did.

It can happen that we are so busy juggling all the demands of family and work and home when our kids are young, that we neglect to make preparations for their emotional needs as they grow. If you have a strained relationship with your teenager then winter is already here.

Coulda, shoulda, woulda Once I worked with a couple who came to discuss their break-up. We explored options for separation and co-parenting of their two young children. Dad wanted to stay together but mom had lost trust. They each explained their positions and what they were feeling. Dad earnestly described how crushed he would be to not see his kids every day. He wished his partner would give their relationship another chance. “You and the boys are everything to me,” the man told his wife. Although she cried hearing this, her reply was, “I don’t believe you anymore.” I facilitated their dialogue as they constructed a picture of their family living apart. The regular issues that parents have in these situations – schedules, expenses, decision-making – were all on the table. The woman asked her husband, “If the boys are everything to you, how come you only want them 25% of the time?” The father explained about the demands of his work and how he viewed the needs of the two young people. The mother responded,

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“As much as you can, involve yourself in activities that plant seeds for the future people your children are growing into.” “I work full time too, you know. I think this is a matter of priorities.”

Identifying priorities Investigating spending habits can help people understand their priorities. Specifically I ask, “What do you spend your time and money on?” It can be difficult to know where our cash goes – it’s another big thing to pay attention to when we already have too many things pulling at our minds. But without conscious awareness of our bank account, the balance is just like anything else where we lack information – we aren’t in a position to make rational decisions about it. “How much time did you spend with your sons this past week?” I asked the man. He told me what he remembered, however his

We took out a calendar and made some notes on the work of raising a family including the fine details of personal energy outputs. The husband had been regularly spending his dollars and energy on snowmobile trips and electronic gadgets while his wife had been doing bedtime almost every night for seven years. Suddenly the mom turned to face her husband, “This is why I haven’t trusted you for so long – you always say the boys matter but then act like they don’t.”

Gathering abundance If we sincerely put time and money into family development, it usually pays off. When we regularly supply our parenting projects with awareness and energy, there are gains to be had. But with no investment there’s little harvest. Adults might think building a new home or buying a fancy grad dress are ways to provide for the family. They can be, yet don’t forget that what really keeps children warm at night is the physical and emotional presence of their grown-ups. What FEELS like love to young people is our calm and interested attention, not our words about how much we care and how hard we work. Meeting the needs of each family member at all times is an impossible task. There are no guarantees in life, and any investment is a gamble, so it makes sense to take thoughtful risks with our time and money. As much as you can, involve yourself in activities that plant seeds for the future people your children are growing into.

HITTING THE TRAILS

Recreation and Outdoor Life

Fall Trail Work by JULIE KELLY, FTA THE Fernie Trails Alliance (FTA) has been working hard all season to keep the trails in tip-top shape. Here are some of the projects the crew will continue to work on this fall.

Al Matador Our volunteers and contractors will continue their hard work on Al Matador. Brushing, benching and rock armouring will continue as the weather permits. Improvements to this trail were able to happen from the funds we received from the Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) Trail Enhancement grant received last year.

Heiko’s and Mount Proctor Trails

Route of the Month: Swine Flu

Work will continue on these trails including brushing closer to Tamarack, additional signage, and some groundwork for potential work for next year. The revitalization of these trails would not have been possible without the dedication of our volunteers and funding from the CBT Trail Enhancement Grant.

Time: 1-2 hrs. Distance: Approx. 10 km Elevation Gain: Approx. 1,000 ft.

Far Side Plans are in the works to revitalize the lower section of Far Side trail to try to separate hikers and bikers for safety. The proposed new route would use Mad Cow to travel west before dropping downhill. Thank you to the grazing tenure leaseholder and Crown for working with us on this reroute.

It’s a great time to take in the views and enjoy the larch on the trails. A classic trail to take it all in is Swine Flu. Head over the Fairy Creek Bridge and jump on to the single track. The new climb built last year has 30 switchbacks.You should be an expert by the top! Take in the views and if you enjoyed the ride and are keen to show your love for the trails make a donation. It’s easy, simply scan your phone over our new QR code on the pig and select your donation amount. The descent is a blast and should be in prime condition with the larch and leaves covering the trail.You will come out where you began the climb and if you are keen head up for another lap, or try Mad Cow to switch it up!

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FERNIE MOUNTAIN MAMAS

Tradition by YVONNE PREST OCTOBER is here and I’m panicking to make my child a costume. Alright, alright, I mean panicking to find one to buy or borrow. I often leave tasks like this to the last minute and end up being a witch or ghost, again. I want more for my son. Or do I? What is Halloween really about for us as a family? What traditions do I want to cultivate for our growing clan? What do I want him to remember? Looking back on my own Halloweens’ past, there are several cringe worthy moments. The year I decided to go as Beavis to my best friend’s Butt-head was a deadly mistake. That mask had what seemed to be nonexistent breathing holes and I spent most of the evening suffocating in my own sweat. Or the year I begged my mom to special order me a cheerleading costume, only to receive a one size fits all poncho with the somewhat recognizable painted on cheer uniform. Only now do I see that it didn’t matter what we wore. What stands out were my younger Halloweens when we were at our Dad’s house. He was never one for celebrating commercial holidays, (did I mention he rocked a mean ponytail), so we would find ourselves searching through our closets for funny scarves and hats, minutes before trick or treating time. I would often go as a dead gypsy after Dad ran out to the store for coloured hairspray and fake blood. While my brother would get wrapped in toilet paper from head to toe for the third year in a row to be a deadly zombie… Not the best costume for our rainy west coast climate. Again, it didn’t matter. We were laughing our heads off in the mad scramble and excitement of it all. That’s what I remember, the laughter. I don’t remember the candy, although I’m sure it was my reason for living at

Submitted Photo the time, but I do remember splashing through puddles with my neighbours and their kids as we ran through the winding streets, lanes and cul-de-sacs. I remember the joy and freedom of staying up late on a school night. And most vividly, I remember howling at the moon to my Dad’s annual joke: ‘I used to be a werewolf but I’m alright nooooowwwwwwwwwoooooooooooooooooooooo!’ It is not trick or treating that was important but rather the time spent together as a family. Last year was my son’s first Halloween and trick or treating experience. The boy had no teeth! Clearly it was not about the costume or the candy, it was about getting together with family and friends, having fun and visiting our neighbours. We visited both Trinity Lodge and the Rocky Mountain Care Village. Everyone was dressed up and smiling. People were talking, saying hello, connecting. Lennox had just mastered the wave and was excited to get a reaction. It was beautiful to see everyone together, young and old.

This year may look a bit different but I still hope that we can gather as a community, from safe distances, and say hello. Fernie has never let this pandemic stand in the way of its celebrations and chances to come together as a community, even if it is through a screen. This fall, I am thankful for this strange holiday that we take part in, as our own form of harvest. My partner is Australian and had never celebrated Halloween before coming to Canada. He doesn’t really understand it. Together, we’ve decided to create meaning around it for ourselves. Many could say that Halloween has become too commercial, but instead I choose to look at the positives that this holiday brings. A reason to come together, to open our doors to strangers, to connect. Most importantly, it leaves us with memories and those are truly the only currency of real value. So here’s to your family and your traditions! I know that this year, without my dad, I’ll be sure to tell his classic joke to anyone who will listen. Happy Halloween Fernie!

Health and Lifestyle

BARK BREAK

Pumpkin Pie Dog Treats by VAL LANTHIER MEET Tessa and Solay! A pug and a husky aren’t your typical duo but these girls are rockin’ the Fernie life. Tessa is a classic pug, she’s happy-go-lucky, always at your feet following anywhere you go and of course, she’s adorably snorty. She does have her moments and knows how to get all the attention, like when she randomly takes off to go run and bark around the skate park. What a clown! At over 10 years old, she’s still going strong. Solay is the athlete you would expect her to be. She has a way to get any dog to play with her and she loves to rip it through the bush, or the trails when she’s mountain biking with her family. Their schedule is packed with adventures and in down time, they make for the cutest photos as they curl up cuddling by the fire. Like a lot of us, fall is a favourite time of year for most dogs. The days are cooler to adventure outdoors and it leaves them feeling like they can go all day. While we all indulge in the season of pumpkin spice and everything nice, why not share some of those yummy goodies with your best pal? Here’s a pumpkin pie dog treat recipe to help bring out the fun, and don’t worry it’s even easier than making real pie:

2. In a food processor or grinder, grind the oats into a flour consistency and transfer to a bowl. Then mix in the egg and 1 tbsp of water. 3. Press oat mixture into each muffin tin to make mini pie crusts. 4. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool. 5. Meanwhile, mix together the pumpkin puree with the cinnamon in a bowl. 6. Remove the crusts from the tin and fill each one with a dollop of puree. Top with a small spoonful of yogurt. 7. Serve and watch your dog devour these tasty treats!

Alisha Rella Photo They’re healthy, too. Pumpkin is nutrient rich, high in vitamin A, potassium and fibre. It’s commonly used for good digestion and to help dogs form solid stool. Now go and enjoy yourselves some classic fall-flavoured treats together!

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Ingredients: • 1 cup of oats • 1 egg • 1 can of plain pumpkin puree • 1/2 tsp of cinnamon • plain yogurt • coconut oil Steps: 1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare a muffin tray by oiling each tin with coconut oil. Use a mini muffin tray for smaller dogs.

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Health and Lifestyle

ELEMENTS OF MOVEMENT

May the Squat Be With You by MADDY ALARIC I find it so interesting how in tune we are as humans with the change of the seasons. How we naturally turn towards warming, comforting foods during the colder months, and in the warmer months, we naturally create the desire for a lighter, more refreshing diet. For me this shift goes further than just dietary preference, but also into training style and regime. Summer has me wanting sweaty, outdoor, high intensity style workouts, while winter brings the desire for heavier, slower, more strengthfocused training. As we make our way into October, I am certain that I, along with the community of people I train with, will be spending more time working on the body weight squat as well as different weight progressions. This realization has led me to this month’s topic: How to perform a proper bodyweight squat. First and foremost, I need to put a strong emphasis on the fact that the squat is a movement first and an exercise second. Performing a proper bodyweight squat before using a barbell or another form of weight is imperative to injury prevention and long-term success. Much like a house, we need a secure solid foundation before filling it with fancy furniture. Aaron Horschig, author of The Squat Bible says it perfectly when he states, “instead of adapting to our limitations or just ignoring them all together, it’s time to fix our movement issues. It’s time to shift our training efforts that have been focused on remodelling our physical house without ever fixing the large crack in our home’s foundation.” So how do we perform a proper bodyweight squat? Here are a few absolutes that must be followed.

Squat Foundation The feet should be roughly hip distance apart (this foot position works for a majority of people, so I use this as a starting point), the toes are pointing relatively straight forward. A very slight turn out of the toes is not a bad thing like some may think. *If the body is not able to go to full depth with this set up, there may be some mobility issues worth acknowledging.

The Tripod Foot I refer to this often when teaching a person who is new to the squat. Maintaining the arch of our foot and our weight being evenly distributed will allow for the most

Submitted Photos power and stability. The three points in the tripod are the heel, the base of the big toe and the base of the pinky toe and is a solid base of support for the body.

External Rotation Torque Simply put, this means creating tightness in our hips so that our knees track in proper alignment. Cues such as screwing the feet into the floor or squeeze your glutes will engage the outside muscles of the hips that are required while the arch in the foot is created and knees are in alignment with the toes.

The Hip Hinge Thinking of driving the hips back instead of straight down will ensure our posterior

chain (glutes and hamstrings) is properly engaged. Once we’ve established a solid foot position, sending the hips back as we lower into our squat will allow us to drive back up using the external rotation and hip force we have created.

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In my opinion, once we can confidently perform bodyweight squats, we have the option to progress into a squat using barbells or other forms of weight. The foot position for these squats may be slightly different, but overall, all variations of a squat require the same set up. Acknowledging weaknesses or mobility issues and taking the right steps to eliminate these will help keep us able bodied to perform movements like this and will keep us strong and healthy to enjoy the Fernie lifestyle! On that note, if you are new to the squat, start now. If you’re experienced in the squat, keep going. Either way, happy squatting friends!

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Health and Lifestyle

THIS IS LIFE

The Seeds of Kindness by TYLA CHARBONNEAU THERE is an old proverb that says, ‘you reap what you sow.” These words imply that the actions we take today greatly impact our behaviours and interactions in the future. In its Christian roots the phrase was meant as a warning for people not to misbehave or treat others poorly as those injustices will come back to them. In our community we could use these words to cultivate kindness and gratitude in order to improve our quality of life and increase our connection to others. There seems to be a collective sadness at the moment as our world becomes more polarized and each side makes judgments about the other without effectively listening to the other’s perspective. My education tells me that this judgment and misunderstanding is based in fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of not being accepted, and fear of our future. This fear can drive people apart and create a world where we forget about our values and how we want to treat each other in respectful ways. I see it everywhere, even in the kindest of people when they are quick to anger because the driver in front of them cut them off or a company makes a policy they do not like or understand. There is a term in social psychology called fundamental attribution error. It is when we look at a situation and attribute the negative qualities to the person and not the situation when it is outside of ourselves. However, when we are the person involved, we see the negatives in the situation and not ourselves. For example, if I am late to a meeting I will indicate traffic or weather as the cause. If someone else is late I may focus on the

When someone does or says something that evokes a judgment in us such as that person is lazy or mean, stop and consider all the reasons that person might have done what they did. There are many reasons for our behaviour and rarely is it ever because we are intentionally trying to hurt someone. Most often it is because we are dealing with something difficult internally. That person who cut you off in traffic, maybe their mother just died, or depression kept them in bed late and they do not want to lose their job. When your partner snaps at you, perhaps they are keeping something important inside or are struggling with hearing something negative about themselves. Choosing kindness and asking a person what they are experiencing rather than deciding for them in your own mind can positively impact both your lives. V. Croome Photo

“Choosing kindness and asking a person what they are experiencing rather than deciding for them in your own mind can positively impact both your lives. ” person, thinking that they are not good with time management. This error can create judgment of others and unnecessary frustration. Luckily there is something we can do to bring ourselves back to kindness.

Take some time to reflect on your own life. Have you found as of late that you are quick to judge the actions of others? What would it cost you to be kind? How much effort would it take to generate three or four alternative explanations for why someone acts in a certain way? What difference would it make in your life if you did? I know I go to Brené Brown a lot in the column, but her words are so fitting here and a really nice reframe of the old proverb ‘you reap what you sow.’ She said instead, “Generosity, to assume the best in people, is almost inherently a selfish act because the life you change first is your own.”

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Gmail Confidential Mode by KEVIN MCISAAC THIS month I want to talk about Gmail. Specifically, Gmail confidential mode. It has been in Gmail since 2018 but isn’t used very often. There are good reasons to use it and there are good reasons not to use it. It isn’t a panacea for email security problems, but it may solve some specific issues that you find difficult to tackle otherwise. Gmail confidential mode is a feature you can turn on for a specific email. When you are composing an email look at the bottom of the New Message window.You’ll see a bunch of icons. The one that looks like a briefcase with a clock face over it enables confidential mode. If you click that button it will bring up a dialogue box with a few options.You can set an expiration date. After that date, the recipient can no longer view the email. You can also assign an SMS passcode that the recipient will have to enter to open the email. Okay, what’s the point? Emails sent in confidential mode can be set to expire. Perhaps the information you are sending is only valid up until a particular date. An example might be an offer to buy something that expires. Also, confidential mode emails cannot be copied, forwarded, printed, or downloaded. Useful for information that’s intended for the recipient and no one else. Gmail confidential mode is only available of course if you are using Gmail, but the recipient doesn’t have to be. If they’re not using Gmail they’ll receive a link to retrieve the email. If they are using Gmail they’ll receive a normal email unless an SMS passcode has been assigned.

Turn confidential mode on or off.

There is one final upside. As the sender, you can choose to expire the email at any time. Just go into your sent folder and find the email and open it. At the bottom right of the email, you’ll find a link to “Remove access.” After clicking it the link will change to “Renew access” in case you want to grant access again or in case the time limit has expired and you want to extend it for the recipient. Not everyone is going to find a use for confidential mode, but if you do Gmail’s got you covered.

If you want to assign an SMS passcode that the recipient will have to enter before viewing this email, you’ll need to enter their phone number. The recipient will receive a text from Google with the passcode which they’ll have to enter to open the email. This feature is not available in all countries but works fine in North America. What’s the downside? Well, it’s not foolproof. The recipient can still copy the email by taking a screenshot if they want to copy it. The email is not secret. As in, Google’s servers can still read it as it’s not encrypted. Another consideration might be your work email rules. Some organizations require all emails to be kept. Also, the email doesn’t truly go away after the expiration date as it’s still available in the sender’s Sent folder unless manually deleted. One final consideration is that emails sent to non-Gmail addresses receive a link to the email, instead of the email. That link could be either spoofed by someone for nefarious reasons or perhaps not clicked on out of fear.

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Bits and Bytes

ASTROLOGY

October 2020 by ASHLEY KRISTINA OCTOBER is a special month beginning with a full moon and ending with a full moon, with the new moon right in the middle (10/16). Restrained energy continues to rule on Earth and this will not change anytime soon. It can feel frustrating and tension is palpable in the chart for October. There is a great balance occurring and this manifests in the macro and the micro. Mars, the planet that rules drive, desires, ambitions, courage, and the ability to attain goals, is retrograde until the middle of November meaning a halt in that planet’s energy and another very inward month. Mercury, the planet that rules communication, thought processes, day to day travel, electronic devices, goes retrograde October 14 so this adds an additional factor. Pluto goes direct while still travelling in the sky closely to Saturn and Jupiter (in Capricorn). As far as I can see, we have not seen anything yet and I do believe this is like the ‘Hand of God’ coming down to Earth: Spiritual Law. It’s a big time and we have had several years building up to this time. October is a good month for meditation and connecting with one’s family and traditions. There is a theme about adapting inner strength and humility and connecting with divine source energy to remain in serenity in a time where it oscillates between varying degrees of chaos. Faith is always an important virtue to maintain, and basically reminding self to be its best form even in strife. May everyone have a Happy Halloween and may we dress up and parade with the spirits of our ancestors as the veil thins for a Full Hunter Moon.

Aries Mars rules your energy so your very essence

will turn inward until mid-November. Any outward momentum or activity you wish to accomplish might feel blocked. It is a good time to finish tasks that have already begun and not to start anything new.

Taurus It is a great time to redo, renovate and repair. Keeping your stability and practicing calmness and your listening skills are also recommended.

Gemini The harvest is a time of fulfilment by simply being in nature. Spend time outside as much as possible this month. Attuning to nature is especially nurturing for you at this time.

Cancer Anytime chaos prevails, especially with knowledge and other people’s opinions, is important to go inward and spend time on self. A balance between serenity and preparation, stillness and activity, is always an interplay in life.

Leo Venus, the planet that rules love and beauty continues its travel through your sign for the first week of this month and there is a theme of overwhelm of potential. It is a good time to focus the mind and reevaluate your inner truth.

Virgo Venus, your ruling planet travels through your sign this month so you will feel this support in your life in a loving,Venusian way. Because of this, it continues to be a month that is felt as purifying and cleansing, the way the energy of September is traditionally felt.

Libra Depths of connection with another are pronounced this month however be careful

of the miscommunication of feelings, thoughts and words that can occur due to Mercury’s retrograde. It is an important month to base your stability off of something you definitely know is stable, perhaps a close relative.

Scorpio A good time to express yourself as Mercury travels through your sign most of the month. Creative flow will be high so utilize the energy. Art and all forms of creativity are recommended.

Sagittarius In the assimilation of knowledge, one must be very good about being in ‘tune’ with what is waste. This month it’s important to take out this waste: of the mind, house, and body. Remove and cleanse all that is not for your highest good.

Capricorn The planets are supporting you on your path and all the Capricorn traits of tradition, inner strength, responsibility and time are activated. It is a good time to see how this time is a reflective energy of your own nature.

Aquarius In being grounded within self and connecting to nature and Source-energy, one can catch the ‘knowing’ in the aether. Connect with your intuition and inner knowing and trust it, it’s a good time to trust self.

Pisces Change is.You know this and you are one of the most adaptable energies. There is a potential for accelerated growth if you catch the right wave. There is a theme of unifying with group dynamics for you this month, perhaps showing up as an individual for the group, even as a leader. FERNIEFIX.COM

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