Go Cranbrook Issue #7 by THE TRENCH MAGAZINE

WINTER 2017

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Grady Pasiechnyk

contributors Britt Bates Danielle Eaton Monica Karaba Dan Mills Grady Pasiechnyk

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WINTER 2017

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A CELEBRATION OF KOOTENAY WINTERS. “When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels.” — ANONYMOUS

W & P: Dan Mills It was day one of our backpacking misadventure and I was in full whiner mode. The journey I had envisioned had fallen drastically short of my utopian expectations. I was not a happy hiker. The summer weather had been scorching. The creek that we had counted on to be our water source was dry, the signs of fresh grizzly sign we kept finding was making me nervous, and the plague of mosquitoes we were enduring was biblical in proportion. Oh, and there was that cloud of smoke just over the ridge that indicated a forest fire was moving in our general direction. My hiking partner, who was staring off at the advancing plume interrupted my tirade in mid complaint. “You know, I was thinking,” he said. “Perhaps we should cut this trip short and come back here at a better time. Like maybe January?” Although his statement was not without sarcasm, it was also brimming with truth. Winter would have been a “better time.” Lets face it, forest fires are just not a threat during the Kootenay’s coldest season. For that matter, neither are mosquitoes and grizzly bears. So why then do we choose summer as the season to visit the back country? One word — cold.

WINTER 2017 |

Well, on the aforementioned trip, a little cold would have been an attractive option. When the heat is positively oppressive, there are only so many clothes one can remove to try and cool down. Besides, naked hikers run the risk of overexposure (no pun intended) to damaging ultraviolet rays, blood thirsty mosquitoes, and body shaming. The cold, however, can be endured by simply putting clothes on. Layer upon layer of wool, down, and high-tech synthetics, not only serve to keep you toasty, they also make body shaming all but impossible. But why bother with all this bundling up you ask? What could wandering in the winter woods possibly have over a balmy summer trip? Well, the benefits are nearly as numerous as snowflakes in a blizzard. For starters, because the rest of the world thinks winter is uncomfortable, you will probably have your favorite hiking/camping spot all to yourself. No crowds, just solitude, silence, and tranquility.

One of the things that contributes to the quiet is the snow itself. The landscape is draped in soft, muffling white. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost as if Mom Nature has dressed up in her best formal wear. She looks quite different when she is all decked out like this. Even places you know well will seem refreshingly new. Quiet yes, but not without stories to tell. Everywhere you look there are tracks of critters, large and small, written in the snow. In summer, the comings and goings of forest creatures are not so obvious, but in winter, the plethora of footprints shows just how vibrant with life the outdoor world really is. And of course, you will be making tracks all your own. Depending on snow depth and the degree of slope youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be encountering, you may choose to ski, snowshoe, or, when the conditions are right, just skitter along on top of the thick crust. Regardless of how you choose to travel over the snow, one of the advantages of winter is that the underbrush, windfalls, and other obstacles you would have to endure in summer are often buried. Imagine skiing over the alder instead of battling through it! Ah, yes the joys of winter abound.

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WINTER 2017 |

WE HAVE CREATED AND SLEPT IN SNOW CAVES THAT ALLOWED US TO SPEND MINUS-20 DEGREE NIGHTS AT A BALMY MINUS ONE. But wait thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more! Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say all this freedom to move easily through the wilds finds you somewhat turned around and unsure as to how to find your way home. Relax, you have been laying down a breadcrumb trail of tracks with every step you took. Just retrace those steps and let them lead you home. Perhaps the greatest advantage to camping in winter is the winter camp itself. For starters, you can make it anywhere. Well, maybe not in an avalanche path, but other than that, just about anywhere. In summer, you have to find a patch of level ground without sharp rocks or tree roots that is big enough for the tent and near a water source. In winter, you simply tramp down a nice, flat spot with your skis or snowshoes, anywhere you like, and pitch the tent. Since you can use the snow for your water source by simply melting it with your backpacking stove, you are not obliged to camp only where there is a lake or a stream. And, if you boil that water for a bit, there is no need for filtration or chemical treatment. Not only are the bears, mosquitoes, and forest fires of little concern in the winter woods, neither are giardia and cryptosporidium. Winter camps are not only comfortable, they can be decadently so. On past trips we have shoveled and carved out elaborate kitchen areas with benches, tables, and of course, refrigerators. We have created and slept in snow caves that allowed us to spend minus-20 degree nights at a balmy minus one. We have made gourmet meals on the third night of a trip with ingredients that would have spoiled quickly in the summer. And, we have never run short of ice for our evening cocktails on a winter trip. It was those cool, ice-filled libations I was thinking about on that sun-blasted ridge as I watched the smoke billow even higher into the sky. Silently, we turned and headed back down the trail towards civilization. We would come back another time; a better time when the white flakes falling from the sky were snow, not the ash from a wildfire that was now altogether too close.

W: Grady Pasiechnyk P: Brad McLeod

From my seat in the press box, high above the action, I’m giggling like a little kid as it dawns on me; few things bring me greater pleasure than an eloquent dig at a referee. In a world full of air bags, political correctness, and Instagram filters, a hockey arena might be one of the last places on earth you can bring your whole family, and together with the rest of the community, let a guy in stripes have it for “being blind as a bat.” For 17 years the Kootenay Ice franchise has brought some of the world’s best players (and refs) to our region. It’s sometimes lost on us just how young these kids are when they start their WHL career, and in many ways, these are some of the most transformative times in a player’s life. An impressive number of Kootenay Ice players have graduated to the NHL and many more to colleges and universities across the country as part of

the WHL scholarship program. Since 1993, Western Hockey League clubs have provided close to 3,500 scholarships representing an investment in excess of $11 million, making the WHL the leading provider of hockey scholarships in Western Canada. This is where Matt Cockell, the new president, GM, and part owner of the Ice, lights up when we chat. “The scholarship piece for me is a place of passion. This year alone, there are more scholarships being used than ever before. It’s a really strong percentage. It’s something as a league you’re really proud to be a part of,” he says. To Matt, hockey is everything. He is humble and articulate and his passion for the game is obvious every time he speaks. “Everything I have in my life you can tie back to hockey in some form, whether it’s my edu-

cation, experiences — I met my wife while I was playing in Regina, even my first job was as an usher. It’s such a great community and can be such a great vehicle as a positive driving force.” The Kootenay Ice had been officially for sale since 2012 and at one point was on the brink of moving to Nanaimo. In April, Matt and his business partner, Greg Fettes purchased the team from the Chynoweth family, who brought the team here from Edmonton in 1998. They promptly announced the Ice would be staying in Cranbrook. It’s hard to imagine a better person than Matt steering the ship at this critical juncture, and from the outside looking in, it would appear that he has been unknowingly preparing for this job since he was in elementary school.

Matt has long been a part of the Western Hockey League as a player and a coach, and worked with Hockey Canada at the Olympic level. He was most recently a vice president with True North Sport + Entertainment, the owners of the Winnipeg Jets. His qualification becomes evident when he describes his past experiences, “I’ve been through an NHL draft and been to NHL camps. I don’t think there’s anything our players can experience that I haven’t already gone through.” In spite of Matt’s impressive CV, he recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach that can be imported into this community. Understanding Cranbrook’s unique context will likely be one of Matt’s greatest strengths. “It’s going to take some time. And you can’t assume anything. I’m just learning what this community is going to get excited about and I don’t think we’ve found that yet.” Family, too, is a pillar for Matt. When he does get the rare opportunity to take a break from his new role, it’s not lost on him how special this part of the world is. “Being outdoors is so great,” he says. “This is stuff we wouldn’t experience with our family if not for living here. For example, yesterday my son spent two hours in the pool with his school. They’re going skating next week. Just the whole mentality in terms of active living is something we think is great and we are really excited to enjoy here.”

As we chat in Matt’s office, I start to notice some key decorations contributing to the feng shui; we’re surrounded on two sides by white boards that are running out of space to be written on. I sheepishly ask Matt about work-life balance. “Uhhh,” he laughs, and we both glance at his coffee cup the size of a Thermos that sits between us. “I wouldn’t say I’m making an effort to do that right now. We have a lot of work to do and it’s not going to do itself. I expect myself to be the hardest working person here. There will be time for that but this isn’t it.” The morning we spoke was a game day, the Prince Albert Raiders were in town, and according to his white board, there were some pressing tasks at hand. Three words — Progressive, Community Focused, and Pro Environment, were at the top. “Those things mean something,” Matt says, “There’s a lot that goes into all of them and staying focused on that is my job.” Sensing our valuable time together is coming to a close, I asked Matt one last question: if the two of us are sitting back here in five years, what does he hope to have accomplished? “We’re trying to grow, develop, create, and be progressive, and that takes picking the right ideas and the ones that will provide the best foundation for us moving forward,” Matt

tells me. “I’m really hoping there’s an understanding that we want to make this thing something the community can be proud of, our players can be proud of, and our staff can feel really good about being a part of.” Watching the action from my media seat between a camera man, assistant coach, and the opposing team’s radio announcer, my eyes start to wander around the arena. This is a show. It’s incredible entertainment; it’s also a perfect cross section of our community. Little kids with jerseys and popcorn, moms and dads enjoying a well-deserved beer, and some very experienced hockey fans sipping on a coffee. It reminds me again that sports are the great equalizer in our world and that going to a hockey game is perhaps one of the few surviving universal gathering places. The Kootenay Ice are more than just a WHL hockey team, they are a beacon that connects our whole community. I’m lost in thought, a smile washed over my face thinking about how special a hockey game is. Just then a whistle blows and a ref’s arm shoots into the air. I look around and without realizing it, join in the collective groan. “Maybe that ref needs my glasses,” I say to the guy next to me.

WINTER 2017 |

W: Monica Karaba P: Kyle Hamilton & Ian Cobb, e-KNOW Imagine what it would be like if you were invited to share in front of an audience about something that you love or is meaningful to you — perhaps a passion, hobby, collection, or favourite trip you took. Now, what if you were told that you had exactly six minutes and forty seconds to present your content and that you had to do it through exactly twenty images shown for exactly twenty seconds each? Sound like a good time? Actually, it’s quite a blast. And it’s called PechaKucha. PechaKucha, which loosely means “chit chat” or “sound of conversation” in Japanese, originated in Tokyo in February 2003. It was conceived by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham as a way for young designers to meet, network, and show their work concisely in public. The first event, held at the couple’s fun gallery/lounge/bar/club/kitchen space was such a hit that another one was held and then another and then another and then…

Today, PechaKucha Nights are held all over the world in more than 1,000 cities. The 20x20 format of PechaKucha has also been adopted widely by businesses and schools as a great presentation technique dubbed the “antidote to death by PowerPoint.” PechaKucha Nights draw people together in an informal but organized way. Usually the setting is in a fun or creative space featuring a bar and communal seating. All ages, professions, cultures, and ideologies are welcome, and you don’t have to be an expert or published author to present. It provides a platform for a community of strangers who might not otherwise cross paths to engage with each other and share ideas and experiences at a deeper and more personal level. In an age of too much time spent staring at digital screens and virtual social networking, it inspires people to get out of their houses for real-time creativity, spontaneity, and connectivity.

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This past year, Cranbrook was fortunate to have its first two successful PechaKucha Nights at Key City Theatre. They were spearheaded by Andra Louie, a Kootenayraised, community-building dynamo who recognized the potential and then took the initiative to bring her vision to the East Kootenays. Andra, who was raised in Invermere from the age of one and moved to Kimberley in 2014 after years away in Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, is passionate about having a thriving, healthy community here, and she believes that one way to achieve that is by celebrating and sharing a diversity of cultures, beliefs, and experiences. She is currently working towards a Master of Arts in Community Development at University of Victoria and is on leave as a recruitment officer while she serves as Executive Assistant to the Vice President of International & Regional Development at College of The Rockies. When she’s not working or masterminding her next ambitious endeavor, Andra can be found walking her dog (as she was during our interview), taking care of her young daughter and husband, and enjoying hosting her international exchange student from Japan. Andra found a great venue to bring PechaKucha to our region thanks to Galen Olstead, Managing Director at Key City Theatre, who loved the concept and easily agreed to make the front gallery and concessions available to create the perfect ambience for PechaKucha Cranbrook’s debut. Andra rallied some enthusiastic volunteers who helped her enlist presenters, get the word out about the event, provide snacks and libations, and even arranged for some groovy background beats from beloved local DJ, Nay Taron. Andra’s first intrepid presenters at the inaugural May 4th event hailed from Cranbrook, Kimberley, Radium Hot Springs, and Fernie. They sailed through their allotted twenty slides each covering a range of subjects: physical literacy for children, Sufi mysticism, the worldview of an artist from the Ktunaxa Nation, refugee resettlement, how to identify healthy body products, midget Olympics, the adventures of a family travelling through 17 countries in nine months, and the local characters and unique way of life in Radium Hot Springs. The next brave batch of presenters who took on the second PechaKucha Night challenge on September 29th included an avid kayaker turning around a medical diagnosis, a photographer with a goal of taking portraits of everyone in his town of Fernie, a local writer and creative writing teacher both with a gift for uniting images and words, an artist who used her medium to help recover

from sexual trauma, a tree planter with twenty years of experience, a respected community theatre director describing a production that affected him deeply, a woman who walked the Camino de Santiago with her daughter, a researcher with a penchant for the construction of desert oases, and a Fernie creative who recounted the (imagined) adventures of some creepy clowns. What inspired such a busy woman as Andra to take the risk and catalyze PechaKucha Nights in the East Kootenays? She explained, “When I lived in New Westminster, I was around a lot of proactive people who were constantly trying out new ways to strengthen the community. I got to experience PechaKucha firsthand and saw how great it was at getting people to gather together, open up and share their stories, and develop new possibilities for collaboration.” Andra felt it was a perfect fit for our region because “we have such a vibrant and curious community. This part of the world offers amazing lifestyle opportunities that attract unique and adventurous people. Since PechaKucha is a grassroots event, what we do locally is completely up to us, but it also makes us part of a global community interested in connecting and sharing more with each other about what matters most to us.” Each PechaKucha Night is a treat that the PechaKucha website describes is “like a box of chocolates.” You never know what you’re going to get! You might hear a great story about a project or a trip or just see something you already know about with new eyes. Some presentations are incredibly touching. Some are funny. And some can just be plain weird. Come open and expect the unexpected. There is even a brief Q&A after each presentation if you want to know more. Andra encourages those who might consider presenting to first come and be a part of the audience, “This isn’t like TED Talks where people have to be subject matter experts or have published a book or two. PechaKucha voices aren’t mainstream, and you don’t have to be super polished. Anyone can present because everyone is an expert on his or her own life, and everyone has valid experiences.”

Feedback for PechaKucha Cranbrook has been overwhelmingly positive from both presenters and attendees. Most presenters report feeling invigorated after facing that common fear of public speaking or revealing a deeper or more unusual aspect of themselves. They also enjoy the warmth and receptivity of the Kootenay crowd. Attendees have come away amazed and inspired at the depth and breadth of what can be shared in such a short amount of time. There are always new ideas to explore, new connections to be made, and often some laughs. And as Andra states, “This isn’t a moneymaking event so for just $10, you can have a lot of fun. It’s a lot of bang for the buck!” When Andra jumped on board to first host PechaKucha Cranbrook, she gave a “handshake” agreement with PechaKucha headquarters in Tokyo to commit to four events within one year. However, with word of mouth spreading and excitement growing with every event, she is hopeful that it will easily continue past 2018 and beyond. Asked about her vision for what happens next, she replies, “I would really like to see more diversity and more groups represented — males, females, youth, seniors, all cultures, and all walks of life. It would be a great opportunity for those who may not have felt that their voices mattered and who we may not get to hear from as much.” Andra would also like to record and upload future presentations so that more people can enjoy them even if they aren’t local or able to attend. So, mark your calendars! The next PechaKucha Night is already being planned for Thursday, January 25, 2018 at Key City Theatre. Doors (and bar) will open at 5 pm with the event beginning at 6 pm. And, Andra is letting me break this exciting announcement — for the upcoming event, one lucky attendee will win a $500 gift card, courtesy of Mountain City Travel and G Adventures.

For more information on presenting, attending, or volunteering at PechaKucha Night in Cranbrook, please visit the “Pecha Kucha Cranbrook” page on Facebook or email Andra Louie at AndraLou@telus.net. For general information on PechaKucha worldwide and to watch presentations from other cities, please visit PechaKucha.org.

WINTER 2017 |

W: Monica Karaba P: Chad St. Pierre Photography

“The mission of the theatre, after all, is to change, to raise the consciousness of people to their human possibilities.” – Arthur Miller

It takes a village to make great theatre! Sometimes the intricacy and interdependence of all of the parts is vastly underestimated or simply unimagined if one has only sat in an audience. But behind the scenes, there are many players coordinating all of the elements that need to come together. The more united and tightknit the team is, the better the end result and the more likely magic will be created. When it comes to a community theatre, Cranbrook Community Theatre stays true to keeping the community aspect as its guiding light and principle. Everything is done for benefit of the community, by the community, and for the community. This includes thoughtful selection of which plays to do, which for CCT is wide and varied, ranging from surreal and contemporary to classics with a musical thrown into the mix every now and again. Terry Miller, longtime director and board member, says that CCT “feels a responsibility to expose the community to as much theatre as possible in a grand sense.” He feels that Cranbrook theatregoers have developed a sense of trust and receptivity with CCT that allows everyone from cast and crew to the audience to explore a variety of topics and themes and have their horizons expanded together. Trevor Lundy, another CCT board member who directs, acts, and sometimes designs sets says he also shares the philosophy that someone once passed onto him, “Theatre’s job is to hold a mirror up to society.” This authenticity and boldness of CCT is well regarded along with its reputation for putting on high-quality productions. Last season’s Lucy, about a young autistic woman, garnered a Best Set Design for Trevor’s stark, contemporary design, and a Best Actress award for Tracy McGuire in the role of Lucy’s mother, from the Theatre BC Mainstage Festival. This production was also awarded the Canadian Play Recognition Award by the Playwrights Guild of Canada.

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One thing newcomers or those who have never scratched their itch to get involved with theatre might be pleased to learn is that Cranbrook Community Theatre is quite egalitarian and welcomes all levels of interest and skill. Terry and Trevor emphasized that as much as possible with every production they try to give someone new a chance to play in a key role, be it acting, directing, stage managing, set building, or prop or costume making. “The first show I directed, every cast and crew member save one was new to CCT.” Trevor told me. He says that CCT has given many people in the community a creative outlet and camaraderie that makes them feel at home. And there are more people involved than most might realize. “For every six or seven people on stage, there are six or seven (or more) behind the scene.” Trevor explained. While Trevor came to CCT having acted since he was five and with experience directing and performing in college, Terry Miller admitted he had no theatre background whatsoever. Once upon a time, Terry found himself roped into running the lights and sound for a show and has been immersed in CCT ever since (over thirty-some years). He has sometimes acted and sometimes directed, with at least a dozen shows now under his belt. Terry attributes his business career in retail with providing him the training and

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attributes that made him a natural at directing. He says, “I seem to have good people skills, good communication skills, and good organizational skills, and those tend to be important for a director.” He also doesn’t take himself too seriously and says that his involvement with the theatre is primarily for the joy of it, “It’s all about people and having fun. Theatre is fun. It’s an opportunity to keep creating. No matter what, you always end up with a different show every night, and that keeps it interesting.” I recently heard Terry give a presentation at the second PechaKucha Night on the unique and poignant experience he had directing 2014’s Calendar Girls. He said that both the material (based on a true story about a group of women overcoming the odds and posing nude for a calendar to raise money for leukemia) and the vulnerability of the cast coming together to reveal more of themselves than they ever imagined took a tremendous amount of courage and trust. This production not only connected the performers and crew deeply but had a memorable impact on anyone who saw it. “I even had people come to me after the PechaKucha presentation to tell me how much they had been affected by Calendar Girls, which is a real testament to the depth and power of what we had delivered and to the importance that theatre can hold in our community,” he shared.

Trevor says that working on Lucy was an extraordinary opportunity for him. “It was written by a childhood friend and taught me so much about inclusion and understanding of those with different abilities. I had the great honour of casting a young woman who has autism in the role of a girl with autism. I learned so much from her and about myself and my own preconceived ideas. When I revealed this to the playwright, he said that this ‘satisfied so many of the reasons he wrote the play.’” Cranbrook Community Theatre has been operating for well over fifty years with some of the original founders such as Bud Abbott (at a lively 96), Jim Cameron, and David Stock still actively involved. And unlike many communities, the theatre is fortunate in that it has long maintained its own space, a 100-year-old heritage building acquired in 1973 by the City of Cranbrook at CCT’s behest which was then turned over to CCT for stewardship. The building is now called Studio/Stage Door Theatre. So get yourself onboard for Cranbrook Community Theatre’s current season already in full swing! Pick up some tickets or take advantage of full membership to enjoy the whole shebang. Heck, consider getting involved. You just might have fun. And you just might be surprised to discover that someone you already know such as your dentist or favourite barista has taken to theatrical ways.

TERRY MILLER & TREVOR LUNDY

Did You Know? Cranbrook Community Theatre is a non-profit with four channels of support: memberships, building rentals, city funding and grants, and ticket sales for shows Paid staff consists of just one part-time maintenance person and one office administrator at six hours a week. Everything else is run by volunteers. CCT has a board of eleven directors; most are actively involved in the on-stage productions. For 2017/18, CCT will need about 30 actors, not including the 30+ performers that will be required for the bigstage production of The Producers at Key City Theatre. CCT also conducts workshops in acting and directing.

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In addition to an exciting season, CCT will debut an awards night in May 2018 to celebrate highlights of the past season to be voted on by CCT members. The awards will be known as “The Abbott Awards,” while each trophy will be called a “Buddie,” after CCT founder Bud Abbott. Trevor envisions the awards eventually expanding to include the entire East Kootenay/Cranbrook/Kimberley theatre family with groups like Turner and Adler Productions, The Off Centre Players, and secondary schools featuring alongside CCT in a congenial annual competition and celebration. This season’s shows will see a return to classics that were written over sixty years ago. Timeless themes of family, marriage, and relationships will be explored. There will be comedy, new directors, and even a bigproduction musical at Key City Theatre. The Producers, New Year’s Eve Gala (and fundraiser) plus January 11-13 and 18-20 — Directed by Brenda Babinski, a full-blown production of Mel Brooks’ stage musical with over thirty performers will run at Key City Theatre. The story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop. Not to be missed! Plaza Suite, February 9-10, 14-18, and 21-24 — CCT is excited to introduce three new directors: Michelle McCue, Thom McCaughey, and Barry Coulter, who will each direct one act of the three-act comedy, set in the same New York hotel room but featuring different plot lines and characters. The Sunshine Boys, May 27-28 plus June 3-6 and 9-12 — Another Neil Simon play, this classic will be directed by Bob McCue. This classic comedy follows the relationship between a pair of cranky old men.

W: Britt Bates P: Julian Bueckert I invite myself into the open, spacious room where the Little Jazz Orchestra practises. It’s a sunny October day, and the light streams in through the proppedopen door. Four of the five members lounge casually on chairs, plucking away at their instruments. We’re still waiting for the drummer, Sven, to arrive, so they can dive into their practise. “Drummers,” Dave says, “They always have the worst timing.” Everyone laughs. The Little Jazz Orchestra seems perfectly suited to either situation, and thankfully, both can become reality: they’ve just put out their first album, Slow It Up, available on iTunes, Spotify, or in hard copy at Lotus Books or Max’s Place in Cranbrook. It’s the perfect soundtrack for crafting a romantic night in, for cooking your favourite dinner to, or for a late-night cognac. I can tell already, even within moments of meeting them, that the band brings to every environment they inhabit the relaxed and easy rapport that exists effortlessly between old friends. They crack jokes, seem perfectly easy-going, and move in a way that is friendly and stylishly unhurried. When I ask how long they’ve been playing together, Dave doesn’t miss a beat: “We haven’t even started yet. We’re waiting for Sven to get here, remember?” I’ll soon find out that they carry their charm into the music they create, which is, like the individuals behind it, breezy, goodnatured, and quite frankly, cool.

WINTER 2017 |

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It’s music that contains the same wit and joy that is so evident in the people creating it. Sven Heyde arrives and kicks off his Blundstones before sitting down at the turquoise drum set. His arrival completes the five-piece band, who also includes Janice Nicli on the bass, Evan Bueckert on keys, Dave Ward on the trumpet, and Graham Barnes on the guitar. It doesn’t take long for them to get into the swing of things. They start with a simple drum beat that immediately puts me even more at ease, and after a moment it’s joined by a playful keyboard and a lighthearted, meandering bass line. Next, the trumpet and guitar move in. It’s music that moves around, builds, and then settles, builds up again; it contains a little mystery. It’s reminiscent of kids playing hide and seek; it’s both the hider and the seeker. When it breaks into soothing, comforting melodies, it’s also the responsible adult checking in, before ducking back out into playfulness. It’s jazz, but it’s also something else, its own genre. It’s an animal shrugging off sleep and blinking in the daylight. It’s music that contains the same wit and joy that is so evident in the people creating it.

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Laughter, I am realizing, is an important ingredient in the energy of this group. When I lean into the songs and try to imagine where I’d most love to enjoy them, I’m torn between two scenarios: a cozy night at home, with a glass of red wine in hand and a fire in the wood stove. Maybe a slow kitchen dance with a loved one, the dishes half-done in the sink. Or, I think, I want to be out in a dimly-lit and crowded bar or restaurant, dressed to the nines, listening to the music overtake the room’s chatter and feeling compelled to dance with friends. For the second situation, to see them live and feel the full extent of the band’s charisma, you’re in luck: they play at The Heid Out Restaurant & Brewhouse on the first Thursday of every month, from 6-9 pm. It’s a perfect excuse to grab your friends and head downtown for a freshly-crafted pint of good beer and some awesome entertainment. However you choose to enjoy their music, the experience of the Little Jazz Orchestra is visceral: when I step out of their practise and back into the bright afternoon, I notice myself smiling a little wider to strangers I pass on the street, and even the sun feels a little warmer on my skin.

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WINTER 2017 |

W: Britt Bates P: Bailey Repp Gwen Stewart has been the head of the Hairstylist Foundation program at College of the Rockies in Cranbrook for 11 years, but her impact extends far beyond just the students who come through the college salon. Gwen’s efforts as an educator are transforming what is taught in our classrooms and even what it means to live on this land. She is taking the term reconciliation and breathing life into it by making her classroom and, by extension, our local culture – more respectful, appropriate, and inclusive; a place where Indigenous voices are heard. “I was reading through the course content and realized there were missing perspectives,” Gwen explains, as we discuss the Hairstylist program. “We were learning about the history of Egyptian hair, Chinese, you name it. But there was no Indigenous content. Something important was missing.”

In this area, we are living on Ktunaxa lands, where the rich history of these peoples is embedded within the ground we walk on and is carried by those with whom we share this landscape. This history has been riddled with institutional and systemic racism and discrimination, as evidenced by Residential Schools. But looking with a keen eye at these dark realities that occurred, both right here at home and beyond, is an important, tenacious part of Reconciliation. Gwen exemplifies how we can keep a painful history in our rear-view mirror while moving intentionally toward a new reality that includes and respects Indigenous voices and wisdom. “As a non-indigenous educator, I saw a huge opportunity,” Gwen tells me. She has learning resources on Aboriginal peoples and history, so that her students can create for themselves an awareness about the past. Not only that, she brings Indigenous voices right into the classroom: “I wanted to include not just the knowledge of Ktunaxa peoples, but the teaching methods, too,” she says. She reached out to Indigenous education coordinators to ask for advice and direction about how to incorporate Ktunaxa perspectives into her classroom, and was directed to the First Nation’s knowledge-holders, or elders, who offer Gwen guidance and instruction in bringing these principles to her curriculum. It’s more than just course content though:

Indigenous perspectives have been made part of the official program outline, so they will continue to be taught long after Gwen retires from her position. Each year, the number of Ktunaxa students and clients in Gwen’s salon at College of the Rockies help shed light on how important hair is in the cultures of the Ktunaxa peoples, as well as to Indigenous populations elsewhere. Hair is often seen as sacred and powerful, and Gwen and her students learn about what this looks like through individual stories. “It means there is intercultural understanding in my classroom,” Gwen says. Truth and Reconciliation is a term we hear a lot of, especially from our political leaders, and it can start to feel abstract. But it begins to take shape and form into something meaningful, when citizens like Gwen take matters into their own hands and put that term to use in our classrooms and communities. Suddenly Truth and Reconciliation becomes something we can see and work with, by creating space for First Nations’ cultures to thrive in day-to-day life. Together, we can start to unravel centuries of colonization, and — starting unexpectedly right in the middle of a hair salon — begin to move into a society that is inclusive, healing, and reconciling.

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W: Monica Karaba P: Ashlée Perreault Over 200 people braved a brisk winter night last February to walk for up to ten kilometers along the snowy streets of Cranbrook. About 200 others volunteered to help organize the event, support the walkers along their route, or greet them with a hot meal at the end. Everyone who signed up for Coldest Night of the Year knew that they might experience a bit of discomfort being out for so long at this time of year with its potential for subzero temperatures, but they embraced the challenge and were rewarded with camaraderie and warm drinks. More important, however, was the main purpose for this event - to raise funds and awareness on behalf of the homeless population in our area. The Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY), dubbed “Canada’s Unofficial Walk for Homelessness,” is a fun, family-friendly walking fundraiser that was started in 2011 and has helped to raise over $12 million for

the hungry, homeless, and hurting in more than 100 communities across the country. It was created by Blue Sea Philanthropy, a Canadian charity that oversees CNOY nationally by providing the framework and administrative support to help charity groups and non-profits fundraise more effectively with limited resources at a local level. And yes, the event was specifically created to happen on as cold a night as possible to give people a visceral (albeit slight and temporary) experience of what homelessness might feel like, particularly during a Canadian winter. CNOY was brought to Cranbrook last year for the first time thanks to event directors Erin Pan and Tracy Pound, who serve as coordinators of Homeless Outreach and Prevention at Community Connections Society of Southeast BC. Their colleague Margy DeNeef Slute graciously agreed to come on board and serve as Campaign Team Lead.

For more information or to register a team, volunteer, become a sponsor, or make a donation to this year’s Coldest Night of the Year, please visit https://canada.cnoy.org/location/cranbrook, email info@blueseaphilanthropy.org, or call Margy DeNeef Slute, Campaign Team Lead, at (250) 417-3167 or (250) 829-0652.

The inaugural Cranbrook CNOY event had a successful turnout with 29 teams of walkers raising $42,000, which went directly to helping our local homeless and at-risk community in need. The majority of participants felt that it was such a positive event that they expressed interest in doing it again. Erin stated that it exceeded her group’s expectations, especially for a first-time event, “It was really wonderful to see how generous, caring, and supportive the Cranbrook community is.” Word of mouth is spreading about the next Cranbrook Coldest Night of the Year, which is being planned for February 24, 2018 with the goal to raise $50,000. Participants will be able to register their teams online for the two, five, or ten-kilometer walk starting December 1st. They will receive a commemorative toque and be greeted with two warm-up spots along their route as well as hot soup and other goodies after the event. Local favourite, The Heid Out, has generously stepped up to be the main food sponsor for the second year in a row, and there will be other local sponsors joining them (to be announced).

The Homeless Outreach and Prevention Programs serve people living with poverty in the Cranbrook area. Your involvement in the Coldest Night of the Year walk has the potential of positively impacting hundreds of lives in Cranbrook by giving actual support and hope to those in need. The money raised from this event will be used to help fund Community Connections Society of Southeast BC’s Homeless Outreach and Prevention Programs which includes services and supports those that are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Homeless Outreach and Homeless Prevention provides support and services to hundreds of people per year in Cranbrook and beyond. We help those who have low or no income or access to income supports find income resources. We support those who have issues with medical and disability benefits. We also assist with housing information, housing applications, and in some cases, short and long-term planning. Because of the homeless outreach and prevention services, hundreds of people in Cranbrook have avoided homelessness through housing subsidies, security deposits, landlord mediation, utility payments, food support, short-term rental assistance and much, much more.

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W: Danielle Eaton P: Lucas Roach The first time I ever tried a brined pickle, my heart just about stopped. I have always been a really big fan of pickles. Pickled cucumbers, pickled eggs, pickled carrots, pickled everything. If it was pickled, I would eat it. As a kid, I would sneak out of bed after my parents went to sleep and sneak pickles out of the fridge. No Mom, it wasn’t little brother eating all the pickles as I once insisted… As an adult, I would like to say that my habits have matured, yet my addiction to the taste of a tart vegetable still exists. I am, however, more conscious of my health than I was at eight-years old and choose a little more wisely these days. I give credit for that to brined pickles. So, what is a brined pickle? Unlike regular grocery-store pickles, which have been heated and preserved in an acidic environment such as vinegar, brined pickles are not heated and are instead subjected to a process called lacto-fermentation. This process offers probiotic and enzymatic benefits that yield a pickle with higher nutrition. Brined vegetables have more crunch, more flavour, and more nutrients. Because of its health benefits, lacto-fermentation has been a food practice used around the world for thousands of years. Sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and yogurt are all examples

of fermented foods that provide the body with a shot of healthy, gut-friendly bacteria known as probiotics. Probiotics literally means “good for life.” Lacto-fermentation is a two-stage process that involves submerging vegetables in a solution of salt and water (the brine) which contains enough salt to kill off bad bacteria. The lactobacillus (essentially, the good bacteria) survives the salt and begins converting lactose and other sugars present in the food into lactic acid. Unlike canning, lacto-fermentation does not require a fancy process or any special equipment. The result is an acidic environment which safely preserves the vegetables, leaving them with a tasty, acidic bite. Does the idea of allowing bacteria to grow in your food gross you out a little? Lactobacillus are professionals at converting the natural sugars found in fruit or vegetables into lactic acid, which is a natural preservative. It has the ability to fight bad bacteria and preserve the flavour, texture, and nutrients in foods in a way that canning cannot. The benefits of eating food with live lactobacillus bacteria are copious, particularly in the promotion of a healthy digestive system. Lactobacillus are also believed to prevent inflammation in the body and aid in cancer prevention.

While lacto-fermentation is a well-known form of pickling and preserving, it differs significantly from canning and should never be used for long-term preservation. Many fermented foods reach peak flavour within 7-14 days at room temperature. As they continue to age, their flavours develop and become more acidic. Typically, you begin eating a fermented food once it has reached the desired level of fermentation. You can then refrigerate the food to stop the fermentation process. Fermented food can be stored in the refrigerator for only a short period of time. Canning, on the other hand, involves a sterilization process and can preserve foods anywhere from six months to many years, so long as the can or jar hasn’t been opened. Fermented foods comes in many forms. If the foods are not made using lactic acid bacteria as in kimchi, then live bacteria or yeast are added to jump-start the process. While wine and beer can be included in our list of fermented foods, they are not typically considered as healthy as those which result in a high number of probiotics at the end of the process. Whenever you are choosing your fermented foods, the most important consideration is whether the food has enough good bacteria to survive all the way through the digestive process and end up in the gut, where they have the greatest benefit.

It is a good thing for Canadians that fermented foods are becoming more popular here. According to multiple studies, westerners lead the charts in gut disease. These same studies show that Asian diets (such as in Japan and Korea), which have a tradition of regularly serving fermented foods, appear to lead in better gut health. This may not be a surprise as western diets seem to have a higher focus on sugars and processed foods and less of a focus on probiotic bacteria. The jury is currently out on exactly how much and how often fermented foods should be eaten. However, just as your mother has been telling you to eat your yogurt for years, doctors around the world agree that fermented foods have proven health benefits. So where can you find these incredible fermented foods? One way is to make them yourself by attending a workshop or finding an online tutorial. For those who’d rather try it first to get an idea of what they are aiming for, we can be thankful that cultured food is on the rise here. Next time you see pickles at the local farmer’s market or a natural food store, go ahead and ask, “Are those cucumbers fermented or are they pickled in vinegar?” You just never know when you will find a little extra culture in Cranbrook!

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coming events WINTER 2017

TREAD YOUR OWN WAY

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WO R D S BY B R I T T B AT E S | P H O T O G R A P H E R I S N I C O L E L E C L A I R

walking in the chartreuse doorway of Talaria Footwear & Adornment, is the rich, earthy smell of leather. While the store is undoubtedly pleasing to the senses, it doesn’t take long to see what its greatest offering is: footwear and accessories that include all the staples, as well as some finds that are exciting and beautiful.

THE FIRST THING YOU MIGHT NOTICE,

TALARIA, LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF KIMBERLEY’S PLATZL,

has amassed a following over its two years: customers stop in every week or two just to see what’s new. It seems as though people are excited to have an excellent selection for their footwear, including options that are on trend and fashion-forward in addition to the mountain town standards like snow boots and hiking shoes. It’s a place to glimpse what trends are coming out of Europe and making their way to us. Ateliers, a line out of Montreal, is an example of this showmanship: their current line features the patent leather, chunky soles, and softly pointed toes that are making a resurgence right now. in part because of how the buying is done: contributions from all four staff members at Talaria inform the decisions. These ladies range in age from early twenties to mid-fifties and have a diverse range of styles and interests. Their collec-

THE WIDE RANGE OF CHOICES APPEARS

tive insights help ensure that the items on the shelves capture all age ranges and senses of style, while always looking toward what is fresh and new. With so many shoes and accessories, at prices that compete with online pricing, it’s easy to be surprised. Often customers come in the door looking for one particular thing and end up leaving with something completely unexpected that they adore. Something they would not have looked at twice if it weren’t for a nudge to step outside their comfort zone. THE STAFF AT TALARIA might offer exactly that and suggest

you try on something that entices you but is unlike what you’d normally wear. If your usual outfit is Blundstones and jeans, maybe there’s a fun way to step outside those normal parameters – like the photos that show one outfit worn several ways. the belief that our wardrobes can offer more than practicality: what we wear can be a method of expressing our personalities creatively. This is the passion behind Talaria, whose motto is “Tread your own way”.

THE STAFF’S SUGGESTIONS ARE FUELED BY

into the world wearing something that makes you feel great and that helps show the world who you are, uniquely. Talaria can be reached at 250.427.0069

IT’S AN EXCITEMENT ABOUT STEPPING OUT

F O R D E TA I L S A B O U T T H E S E G R E AT LO O K S C H E C K O U T FAC E B O O K | TA L A R I A F O O T W E A R & A D O R N M E N T

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