Volume 1 Issue11

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Volume 1 Issue 11

Your source for weekly news and views in the Robson Valley

Festival acts blow away crowd, forest smoke

Photo: Laura Keil

Ugandan artist Kinobe and his band drew up some dancing girls from the crowd onto the stage Saturday night at the Robson Valley Music Festival in Dunster.

The forest fire smoke that clouded the Valley last week lifted by the end of the weekend, but organizer Shara Gustafson says attendance was down some, because of it. Still, about 1,000 people attended the 3-day events that showcased over 40 performers from all over the world.

Valemount to host international forestry conference

Joseph Nusse

jnusse@therockymountaingoat.com Interior Forest Region, has been

The 58th Western International Forest Disease Work Conference will be held in Valemount Oct. 4-8, drawing 50 to 100 forest health professionals from across North America, and possibly from other countries as well.

While the majority of events will occur at the Best Western Hotel, many events and presentations will also occur in the forests of the Robson Valley.

Richard Reich, Regional Forest Pathologist with the Northern

a driving force behind bringing the event to Valemount.

“I have loved coming to the Robson Valley, both because it’s a great place to work, but also to get to know the people.”

Forest pathologists participating in the conference will hear leading researchers discuss a range of forest health issues ranging from how disease impacts local harvest levels, predictions of climate change impacts, how to manage root disease, foliar disease epidemics, exotic disease

introductions and other topics.

Reich says that when the McBride district was transferred to the Southern Interior in 2003, he didn’t let go of his project work “Valemount is very cosy and welcoming, and being nestled in the Rocky Mountain Trench, offers great views in all directions.,” Richard Reich, Northern Interior Forest Region

in the area. He has been busy for the last four years trying to com-

More Inside:

Valley instrument makers

plete a large project and is elated by a recent district change bringing the Robson Valley back into the Prince George forest district.

Reich says it is these forest health projects that led to the decision to host in Valemount..

He says for some time he wanted to resurrect a very unique project that he started in 1991 in the Robson Valley – the aerial sketch mapping of the distribution of Armillaria root disease at the northern limit of its range.

When Michelle Cleary was hired in 2007 as the new forest pathol-

ogist in Kamloops, he asked her to collaborate with him.

Cleary came up with the idea of holding the conference in Valemount. She felt that the area was truly unique and offered sights and history that would intrigue participants Cleary, the Regional Forest Pathologist for the Southern Interior Forest Region, says the forest disease conference is the largest and most influential gathering of forest pathologists in western North America and is specifically designed as a forum.

Cont’ A7

The future of community TV

A2 Wednesday, August 25 2010

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Robson Valley Music Festival

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A3

Cougar suspected near McLennan Truck Stop

Small dog missing, presumed killed

Joseph Nusse jnusse@therockymountaingoat.com It was about 4 a.m. on Friday the 13th when McLennan Resident Laurea O’Dwyer suspects his beloved Jack Russell Terrier fell victim to a cougar.

“It was devastating,” says O’Dwyer. “By the time I got dressed and outside it was gone.”

The missing family dog is small and pure white. While he

and his wife Susan hope for the best, O’Dwyer, a life-long surveyor and wilderness worker, has accepted the dog’s likely fate.

“Our next door neighbour thinks she saw the cougar a few days earlier. Our dogs never left the yard before.”

Lynda Hedberg lives nextdoor to the O’Dwyers. She says it was

a friend’s dog they were taking care of who alerted them to the intruder.

“The dog was barking in our yard. It ran out towards a bush.

What I saw was the tail, but I am pretty sure it was a cougar.”

Lynda says her husband also observed some deer running across their yard as if they were being chased a few days later.

O’Dwyer says he contacted the conservation officer about the incident.

Last week, a woman lost a goat to a cougar in Dunster.

The Ministry of Fish and Wildlife set up a trap in her yard. No cougar has yet been caught.

Residents are urged to contact a conservation officer if they have a bear or cougar on their

property. Due to the recent re-structuring of provincial forestry and fish and wildlife enforcement services, the conservation officer for the Robson Valley is now based out of Prince George. Previously the Robson Valley was covered by the Clearwater-based Conservation Officer. comments? jnusse@therockymountaingoat.com

Hospital and clinic admit more patients due to smoke No continuous air quality monitor for the Valley Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com

A dozen people more than usual came into the clinics in Valemount and McBride last week complaining of shortness of breath and wheezing, during the five days smoke from forest fires clouded the region.

The smoke came from the central interior of the province, where massive fires continue to burn in one of B.C.’s worst wildfire seasons in years.

Thank You Thank you so much to everyone for the best wishes cards and flowers.

We really appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Thank you to the wonderful staff at Home Hardware for keeping things running smoothly; we know they will continue to meet your needs.

Thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time.

Nigel, Gail, Justin and Mathew Hooke

Dr. Ray Markham at the Valemount clinic says the Prince George where an advisory was issued, says impact of the pollution depends on what’s in the smoke Dennis Fudge, air quality meteorologist with the B.C. and how long a person is exposed.

Ministry of Environment.

“The more volatile compounds can sometimes be asValemount and McBride have no continuous air sociated with cancer,” he says. “I would expect that this quality monitoring system, only a non-continuous short exposure isn’t going to do that.” monitor, which means samples are taken over 24 hours The smoke left an odour of campfire in the air for once every three days, and it takes a month for the remost of last week, blotting out surrounding mountains sults to be analyzed in a lab. and the sun. Chemicals such Fudge says for regions like as creosote, methyl mercury “This is the smokiest I’ve seen it,” the Robson Valley, they rely on and formaldehyde are released weather data and images of the when trees burn. Toxic gasses Bob Beeson, 96-year old Valemount resident smoke through webcams to decan stick to particles that are termine whether an advisory is breathed in by people far away, necessary. when carried by the wind.

But he says sometimes levels are high and visibility Bob Beeson, 96, has lived in the Valley 62 years. isn’t that bad.

“This is the smokiest I’ve seen it,.”

“That’s the hardest thing is getting the message out He said he wasn’t sure if the smoke was impacting his to the people,” he says. “Most people aren’t even aware health. A condition requires Beeson to carry around there is an advisory in effect.” an oxygen pack in order to breathe.

An advisory was issued for Prince George Aug. 20, Beeson used to be a fire warden, organizing fire crews warning people not to exercise and for people with to battle fires near Lilloet and Merritt, among other re- breathing conditions to remain indoors or in an area gions. with filtered air conditioning.

Cont’ A12 No health advisory was issued for the Robson Valley area, though the smoke may have been as bad as

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A4 Wednesday, August 25, 2010

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First Chinese tour group stops in Valemount

Chinese tourists in B.C. to increase 40 per cent by 2012 Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com

The number of Chinese tourists has increased this summer after the Chinese government gave Canada Approved Destination Status on June 26.

Chelsea Sanders at Premier Mountain Lodge and Suites in Valemount says they have had at least one tour bus with Chinese tourists at their hotel each week throughout the summer. Melani Montemayor at the Valemount Ramada says this is the first year they have had Chinese tour busses.

This week was the first time a tour company based in China organized a tour to the area. With the approved destination status, Canadian tourism businesses can market themselves in China, and Chinese tour operators can organize, promote and advertise group travel packages to Canada.

“Previously the government wasn’t

Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com

very eager to let people travel here on holiday,” said a provincial spokesperson in a phone interview. “They could come on business and for educational purposes, but if they wanted to just come for a holiday they couldn’t do that.”

Last year, some 160,000 Chinese people came to Canada, about half to B.C. The agreement is expected to increase Chinese visitors to B.C. by 10 per cent in 2010, 15 per cent in 2011 and an additional 15 per cent for 2012.

“We are thrilled to welcome the first of the Chinese visitors,” says Valemount Mayor Bob Smith. “I’m sure that once they tell their friends what a great place Valemount is, we’ll see many more.”

“The Robson Valley is one of the most beautiful and diverse parts of British Columbia,” echoes Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley-Bond.

Asian tourists fascinated by laundromat Chinese tour groups have been fascinated by the coin-operated laundry machines in Valemount.

“They have one guy explaining how it works and they all crowd around,” says Cathy Crofford, who owns Premier Coin Laundry and Cathy’s Corner Café.

Valemount Secondary School gets defibrilator

When she asked one group where they were from, they said Chinatown in Vancouver.

Crofford guesses many of the travellers have never seen a coin-operated laundry before, since they would likely use a laundry drop-off service or have their own machines.

Valemount Secondary School will be receiving an automatic external defibrilator in the coming weeks, through Medtronic of Canada’s VANOC legacy.

It will be installed in the school foyer somewhere for use at concerts, sports events, and school etc. The school is a community hub, says principal Dan Kenkel, and the school hosts events with up to 200 people.

“For some VACS events and grad, older folks are under significant stress to get here and participate. Some don’t get out much, so when they do, it is a big deal for them.”

For sports stuff in the gym, most are full of active adults in their 40s to 60s, he adds, which are prime heart attack candidates.

He says he hopes a dozen people will be trained to use the device, including four from the Valemount Arts and Culture Society, three from the school, as well as the organizers of athletic activities. It is a basic CPR day class with a short bit on using the machine, he says.

The school will maintain the machine from funds gathered from community use fees.

Medtronic of Canada provided over 300 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and defibrillator/monitors to VANOC for the 2010 Winter Games. The equipment was situated throughout the Olympics

The Rocky Mountain Goat is distributed free weekly

and Paralympics venues. To ensure a positive legacy of the program, VANOC and Medtronic of Canada started an application process in December for groups and agencies interested in acquiring AEDs. Through consultation with VANOC, Medtronic and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC and Yukon, the public was invited to apply but special consideration was given to academic institutions, community organizations, and organizations with athletic and sports development programs across Canada.

VANOC and Medtronic received close to 350 applications and a committee decided which lucky recipients received an AED as a donation.

The use of a defibrillator — which delivers a shock to the victim’s chest to help reset the heart’s normal rhythm — can mean the difference between life and death, while emergency services are called.

Some 35,000 to 45,000 Canadian lives are lost each year due to cardiac arrest.

Defibrillation improves survival rates by up to 30 percent if delivered in the first few minutes, after SCA. With each passing minute, the probability of survival declines by 7 to 10 per cent.

Making defibrillators easily accessible has the potential to save thousands of lives. With increased access to AEDs, survival from sudden cardiac arrest can be increased by 75% or more over the use of CPR alone.

Office: 1070, 5th Avenue, Valemount British Columbia

Laura Keil

Telephone: (250) 566-4606 E-mail: jnusse@therockymountaingoat.com, or lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com Web-site: www.therockymountaingoat.com Mail Address: Box 21, Valemount BC, V0E 2Z0

Co-Owner Editor/Reporter lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com

Joseph Nusse

Co-Owner Publisher/Sales jnusse@therockymountaingoat.com

The Rocky Mountain Goat is produced and distributed by ‘The Rocky Mountain Goat News’ and is subject to copyright. Reproduction, or distribution of any article, photo, or other content must recieve prior consent from Joseph Nusse (Co-Owner/ Publisher) or Laura Keil (Co-Owner/Editor).

Illustrations by Luke Siemens

The Rocky Mountain Goat is a free distribution newspaper serving a population base of approximately 4,000 residents from Blue River and Valemount, to McBride and Dome Creek.

Convenience Mail Delivery Subscription For questions, call The Goat at (250) 566-4606, or e-mail jnusse@therockymountiangoat.com

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A5

Locals harvest wood to make instruments

Musicians around the world order from Valley craftsmen Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com Larry Stamm’s McBride workshop is where the music happens.

Actually most of the sounds are not very musical: mostly it’s chiselling, band sawing, and torching.

“It all starts with a chunk of wood,” Stamm says, holding up a spruce plank that looks little more than a scrap. It will eventually be the sound board of a guitar, only millimetres thick, smooth and even.

He fits one long skinny plank into a vice.

“Canoes and ships and that – they’re all bent with heat and steam,” he says, demonstrating how he heats each plank to shape it to the side of a guitar. He even irons his instruments if they get bumps or kinks.

Stamm has been making wooden stringed instruments for 15 years, after learning the craft from a guitar-making farmer in Saskatchewan. He now sells instruments to musicians all over the world. He only makes 12-15 a year, which sell for several thousand.

“I got beat up by a Heifer and I tried to think of something I could do if I was incapacitated,” he says on how he got started in the profession.

Since then he has perfected many different designs for guitars and other instruments which are unique to him.

Making an instrument is more about physics than music. He says the first thing you start with is the height of the s ou n d b o ard.

When he sp eaks about

Larry Stamm builds 12-15 instruments a year. He has built guitars, violins, mandolins, bouzoukis, violas and fiddles. Below, Gordon Carson shows off two boards he is selling to an instrument maker who for a violin.

the instruments he uses terms like “torque” and “cycles per second,” words you’re unlikely to see on a symphony score. He says a lot of the design is based on tradition, and not necessarily on the most pleasing sound.

High-class violins for example are made of European Spruce and Maple, because that is the wood available in Italy when they first started making violins. But Stamm says birch is a better wood.

Outside the shop is a pile of wood taller than he is. That stack is the beginning of hundreds of violins, mandolins, fiddles, bouzoukis, guitars violas, and maybe a cello.

The wood is birch, douglass fir, cedar and aspen. Stamm uses almost all local wood that he either culls himself or buys from a logger. The different wood affects the tone – but so does each tree.

“Everything affects everything,” he says.

The size of the body of the instrument dramatically alters the sound too. A tiny guitar sounds tinny, just as a mandolin can’t support deep base notes, if tuned lower.

“This is my own design,” he says grabbing

a thin plastic stencil of a guitar with lines drawn across it to show where the support will go inside the instrument.

“The whole thing is like a tuned box,” he says. “I kind of have an idea when I start where I want those frequencies to be and how thick the soundboard has to be, and the back has to work in concert with it.”

Often he still has to shave off parts to get it tuned right.

“The simple explanation is you glue up a bunch of pieces of wood together until it becomes an instrument,” he says and laughs.

“The complex explanation could take years.”

Every piece is weighed and tested for stiffness. He draws out his new designs on paper. Fitting the neck onto the instrument is the most important, he says. If the neck is crooked it can ruin the instrument. He’s had to give up on a few instruments he’s started.

He says violins are by far the hardest because they are small. A bouzouki is like an oversized mandolin, tuned more like a guitar and often used in celtic music.

“It’s really neat to be able to make something that makes music,” he says. “Especially if you take it from a tree to an instrument.”

Building an instrument is understanding the duelling pressures of stiffness, lightness and vibration. Like a tight-rope between trees, the vibrations on the strings can put the pressure of a hurricane on the neck.

“If you build it too weak, it will sound good, but it’ll eventually implode,” Stamm says Canada has proportionally more instrument makers due to the easy access to good wood. It’s easier to ship an instrument than it is to ship wood, he says.

Gordon Carson of Valemount has also been

Photos: Laura Keil harvesting wood and selling it to instrument makers for many years. A logger most of his life, a friend contacted him about getting wood for a mandolin. He brought down a truckload of wood to Vancouver and Victoria and sold the entire stock.

After that he put in an ad in an instrument-makers magazine, but he says he gets most of his business by word of mouth.

Carson says spruce is the best wood for a mandolin, but the wood also needs to be aged at least five years for an ideal sound.

The ageing process changes the properties of the wood so that it better conducts sound.

“You need wood from a lot of trees to be able to match the right wood to the right instrument maker.”

Instrument makers will often specify how many grains to the inch they prefer in the wood they order from Carson. He sells wood for violins, banduras, alp horns and North American flutes among others.

Another local resident, Keith Berg of Dunster, makes French Horns. He says the best instruments are always made by hand.

In the Valley, you might say “If a tree falls in the forest, you may hear it – but later.”

A6

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Valemount Live! celebrates 1 year on the air

VCTV station may get boost after decision this week Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com

It’s 47 minutes to show time and Andru McCracken halts in the middle of the VCTV studio.

“Oh my God it’s bloody crazy today,” he says to no one in particular.

Umesh Anghnoo, a former summer student, waits for the show to start in the cramped studio. He’s here to watch the 1-year anniversary episode.

“How long is this one gonna be?” he asks.

“There’s 40 minutes of tape,” McCracken says. That doesn’t include the anchors’ script.

Normally the show is just under 30 minutes.

The rest of the crew is busy at various desks, in front of computer monitors aside dozens of panels, buttons and wires. The two anchors sit at the oak table on their stools, seemingly oblivious to the excitement on the other side of the room. The anchors dab at their hair in the reflection of the screen, practising the pronunciation of words and singing. On live TV, there are no re-takes, and this show is no different.

McCracken wears a shirt that says “TV Crew” on the back in white letters. He’s more than just the TV crew, though. He’s the producer of Valemount Live! VCTV’s only live show on the air, and after over a year,

Valemount Live! produces a live show every week on VCTV, channel 7 in Valemount.

Photos: Laura Keil

“All of a sudden it goes to snow, and suddenly, wow, people in your community show up on the screen ... The natural evolution is, ‘We’re hearing those stories, let’s hear our story.” - Andru McCracken, VCTV every Thursday is still a rush.

42 minutes to show time. McCracken and the anchors run through the script on the balcony outside.

“I’m Jody Newham.”

“And I’m Anne Marie Scott.”

“Welcome to Valemount Live! Welcome to Valemount Live.”

As the they speak, McCracken leans forward, holding a cigarette in front of his face.

“Beautiful,” he says.

For over a year, McCracken has been running Valemount Live! out of the upstairs of the Valemount Learning Centre. While the TV station has been running for about two decades, the weekly live news show is McCracken’s brainchild.

He says he knew little about running a TV station before he began, and has worked countless hours of over-time getting the show to air.

“All of a sudden it goes to snow, and suddenly, wow, people in your community show up on the screen. I think that’s really powerful,” he says. “The natural evolution is, we’re

hearing those stories, let’s hear our story.”

Rosalyn Barr opens the inside door to the balcony.

“Do we do the horizontal flip?”

McCracken goes inside, leaving the anchors to practise on their own.

“Community TV isn’t always the greatest to watch,” he says. “Sometimes it’s really slow, or awkward or poorly made. But I think the potentially transformative part of community TV is in the making of it.”

18 minutes to show time. McCracken stops and shakes out his arms.

Barr twists around in her seat. “It’s ok, Andru,” she says calmly.

“Yeah,” he says. “It’s going to be ok.”

4 minutes to show time. McCracken grabs a remote and hits on the air conditioner.

“Wow time really slows down. I thought we were at three minutes.”

An ordinary TV in the corner shows a screen of coloured bars with “Stand by for Valemount Live!”

4-3-2-1 ... the anchors appear on all screens in the studio. They are live.

Free TV to end next year; VCTV one of 7 to remain

While the technical aspects are similar to most other newsrooms in the country, VCTV is a rarity in Canada. There are only seven over-the-air community television license holders in English-speaking Canada.

The rest of the community stations in English-speaking Canada are owned by one of the few cable companies. In northern B.C. there are a few community TV stations like this one, spurred by the remoteness and lack of outside resources.

One year from this August, analog TV will be shut off in major markets and broadcasters in areas of a population under 300,000 people no longer have to continue broadcasting free over-the-air TV. In remote locations, this means satellite will be the only option, unless communities set up their own transmitter, like in Valemount.

The Canadian Radio-television Telecom-

munication Commission regulates the television and radio in Canada. It has undertaken a study of community television in Canada to see whether they might come up with a better system that would allow more grassroots involvement of communities.

The CRTC asked McCracken what their viewership was and other questions related to the success of the station.

“They said, ‘People are saying there’s less than 0.1 per cent of people who watch community TV. How can it be relevant?’”

McCracken was happy he could say there was more than 1 per cent of the population just in the studio. More like 3 per cent were involved in the operation, with 20-30 people helping out since last year.

“I hope it can help us think about some of the challenges that are facing us,” he says. “I think that makes a subtle impact.”

The CRTC decision could mean stations like VCTV will get more funding and be able to hire more staff, says Cathy Edwards of the Canadian Association of Community TV Users and Stations.

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A7

Cont’ from A6 She says every cable subscriber pays $2-3 on their bill for local programming. Most “community TV” however, is run by one of a few cable companies – a phenomenon that is unique to Canada, she says.

“For some reason our regulator was worried about the idea of citizens running around and saying anything they wanted on TV. They wanted a company with deep pockets responsible for the programming so if someone wanted to sue the channel it could be dealt with in court.”

“But it was a red herring,” she says. “It really hasn’t been a problem in other countries.”

Edwards says a change in regulation in 1997 drastically reduced t h e amount of community content on local stations and allowed cable companies to repeat shows and shed volunteers.

Edwards says two-thirds of Canada’s community TV stations have since been closed or sit unused, yet cable companies collected $133 million f r o m consumers in 2008 to support community programming.

She says community TV is meant to enable the public, which owns the broadcast system in principle, to participate directly as program producers.

“If you can’t get on the air anymore and produce your own show, then we’ve lost a huge democratic window,” Edwards says. “It’s about the legitimacy of being on TV.”

P r o g r a m s may help bridge rural-urban divide

“If Canada really embraced community TV, it could be a different country,” McCracken says. “How do people in rural Canada see themselves in the news? I don’t think the news does it right for anybody.”

The personality of Valemount Live! Is far different form ordinary news. They often poke fun at serious issues, but McCracken says that is part of drawing attention to the issues. It’s also a way to assert a local stance on issues.

“Whether you’re a scholar or an academic, everybody likes to play and poke fun, and I think that’s what VCTV does well, if campily and it sometimes makes you cringe. But regular TV makes us cringe too.”

McCracken says much like the Colbert Report or Daily Show, Valemount Live! has the ability to walk into a particular topic and point out the ironies and absurdities – and part of the reason it does it is because it doesn’t have the time to do a full news report. It’s easier to take information readily available and give it a local or ironic spin.

But despite VCTV’s programming, he says there is still not enough resources for people.

“In Canada people don’t realize that a community could just up and if it wanted broadcast stations and

Valley chosen for “Rugged beauty”

then develop a community station. In the age of digital you could see more of that, if people understand what could happen.”

He says more rural communities should be looking at starting a local channel, since most newscasts are forged in the city.

Even VCTV footage he sells to CBC is repacked by them in whatever city their studio is in.

“I blame the mainstream media for pulling out of small communities so there’s no longer even any infrastructure.”

He thinks community TV can h e l p

bridge the gap between rural and urban Canadians.

“You have to wonder: ‘What’s your objective?’ If all our TV is a kind of new-age violent pornography, if all it wants to do is capture our attention so we can’t look away, or can’t possibly navigate to the other news station to see what’s going on somewhere else, what is the net result of that?

“I think Canada suffers from that. One of the reasons Canada can’t get together, is because we don’t understand each other.”

4/4 Truck For Sale

Cont’ from A1 She says she is excited to showcase the rugged beauty of the Robson Valley.“Not only is there plenty of interesting forest diseases and projects, and a wide variety of forest types, but the natural beauty of the surroundings is breathtaking,” Reich says.

“How often do people get to view the tallest peaks in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, visit rolling sand dunes covered with unique pine forests cultured by dwarf mistletoe, and see the northern boundary of North America’s most significant root disease all in a day?”

Reich’s excitement extends to the village as a facility for the conference as well. He says Valemount is ideal for hosting the conference.

“It’s very cosy and welcoming, and being nestled in the Rocky Mountain Trench, offers great views in all directions. People attending this conference love the outdoors and like to get out and experience things they haven’t seen before. They will especially enjoy the trail system around Cranberry Marsh where they can see and photograph wildlife and scenery.”

The forest disease conference comes to Canada only every four or five years, and typically does not return to the same region for at least 20 to 25 years. Last year’s conference was held in Durango, Colorado.

Reich strongly encourages local participation since the public and local forest community directly benefits from the exchange of information and interaction. It is expected that the majority of participants will fly into Kamloops, and a charter bus has been arranged to transport participants from Kamloops to Valemount.

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Well here’s one available. My 1995 NISSAN XE-V6 4/4 5-speed is very clean and reliable. There’s 116K on the odometer, and it’s always been cared for by Robson Valley Auto Service. It has new tires, new battery, no cracked glass, very minimal rust, cassette and CD player, canopy and boat rack. The only reason I’m parting with my faithful chariot is that I cannot operate a clutch anymore, so bought an automatic. I purchased this truck when it had 21 pampered Ks, and have never had a wreck or any mechanical difficulties. I wish this truck was around when I was looking for a good 4/4. Asking $7200.

Phone Mick @ 250-968-4332 or e-mail @ callasm@telus.net

A8

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Local Briefs:

LACK OF BERRIES LEADS TO MORE BEARS IN TOWN There have been almost 620 black bear complaints in Prince George, Mackenzie, Vanderhoof, and McBride this year, with more expected.

Rachel Caira, spokeswoman for the Northern Bear Awareness Society, says the hot summer has stunted berry growth.

She says the lack of natural foods has forced bears into populated areas in

search of something to eat.

Caira says it’s likely there will be plenty more bear complaints this fall as bears get ready for hibernation.

Caira encourages people to pick ripe fruit, not let any rot on the ground, and to join the fruit exchange program by calling 250-301-7575.

HST petition numbers released Prince George area voters sent a clear message during the anti-harmonized sales tax petition.

With the Supreme Court ruling that the petition must go to a legislative committee, Elections B.C. has released the numbers.

In Prince George-Valemount, held by Transportation Minister Shirley Bond, 6,017 voters signed the petition out of 34,270 eligible. The threshold for suc-

cess was 3,427 signatures.

In Prince George-Mackenzie, held

by Forests Minister Pat Bell, 5,771 residents signed the petition out of 32,427 eligible. The threshold for success was 3,243 signatures.

In the Nechako Lake riding, held by MLA John Rustad, 3,088 signatures were gathered, from 16,145 eligible. The threshold for success in that riding was 1,615 signatures.

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Bud the Logger Bud goes bugs over bunnies...

This here is a comishuned piece, a certain individual who shall remain nameless has asked me to do it. Since they have ultimate editorial power over me and will pay double the usual amount as well as post my upcoming 9/11 piece I have comprumized.

Seems like there is a big squabble goin on at Uvic. They got tons a bunnies creating math problems. The bunnies are multiplyin and it’s causin divishun, bunny lovers facin off with bunny haters. Administration is in the hater’s camp while a lot of students are in the lover’s camp. Haters say the bunnies are destroying the lawns an lovers say they are mowing them. Sports teams are tripping over them and lovers are petting. A local vet offered ta neuter everyone they catch (bunnies that is) but the haters say they want to do annual culls forever, an all this controversy is coming from an institute of “higher” edjication.

One of the bunny lovers has cut a deal to send a thousand of em to a rehab ranch in Texas. I’ve heard it said that some town in Texas is missing a dummy, could be a few towns missing a bunny, who knows. A group called Fur-Bearer

defenders (I swear I’m not makin this up!) is contributing to tha project, since they’re fur bears we can only hope they will find a new home fur tha ex potguardians of Christina Lake.

Bunnies hop and rumours abound, one of the substitute prof ’s wuz accused of havin “rabbit stew breath” but it wuz unsubstantiated (un-sub-stands-sheate-it). Another rumour claims Playboy wuz offered the bunnies but Heff declined sayin the bunnies was too tame fer his liking. Some buzz that a group called PAC (pets abandoned on campus) wuz planning a “barbecue funraiser fur bunnies” but it wuz cancelled due to concerns about the meat. Course the wildest rumours come from the conspiracy theorists. Suggestions that the bunnies might wind up in a “evil petting zoo”. Insinuation that right wing elements amongst the bunnies penetrated the parliamentary security perimeter and influenced MLA’s to sell BC rail.

I mean hey, somebody’s gotta take the rap.

Logon, Bud

Bud dwells in the small logging towns of British Columbia, but most recently he has been spotted in the Robson Valley. Everybody knows Bud, you might recognize your dad or your neighbour in him. A life long logger who didn’t get much schoolin, Buds’ news is like Bud himself, straightforward, honest and rough around the edges.

Do you like Bud’s take on the world?

Gardening with Pete

Comments: lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com

Peter Amyoony Special to The Goat

The middle of August may not seem like the time to talk about winter salad greens but with a little planning and work in the next few weeks, fresh greens in February can be yours for the taking!

For the past three years I have been able to keep myself in fresh, crisp, healthy salad greens all winter for under $2.00 per month. (Try to remember the wilted

heads of lettuce in January and February for $3.50 per head.)

Around the middle to the end of August, I start new plants of spinach, Swiss chard, romaine, cottage greens, Mizuna, choho, bok-choi and other Japanese and Chinese greens. I just start a few seeds of each variety in small containers in a partially shaded corner of the greenhouse or in a protected place outdoors. Too much heat will give poor Real Tree Wood germination with these Products Ltd. cool-loving crops.

I grow the winter greens in a bed of my small greenhouse (8 x 10 feet), which *Shop Welding & Fabricating has an outer layer of fibre*Portable welding-air arc glass and an inner layer of *Custom aluminum welding / work poly. Many garden books *Bumpers / roof racks, etc. claim that each layer of protection is the same as Robert Johnson moving 500 miles South.

PO Box 11, McBride, BC V0J 2E0 The bed is used to grow Phone (250) 569-2459 cucumbers all summer but Cell (250) 569-7912 they will be finished by the Fax (250) 569-0399 end of September.

Email: realtreewoodproducts@gmail.com I made a simple cold-frame

out of cedar strips and two sheets of “coroplast”. This is the milky white plastic that resembles corrugated cardboard. It has two thin layers of plastic with air space in the corrugations. Thus, with the greenhouse and the cold frame, I get four layers of protection from the frost. (Like moving 2000 miles South!)

For extra insurance, I put a small electric heater with an in-line thermostat in the end of the cold-frame. I set the thermostat at 2 C (36F) and stop worrying about the frost.

The cold frame is 8 feet long by 3 feet wide at the bottom. The sides taper to a 2 foot opening at the top and are exactly two feet from the ground to the top. Thus one 4 by 8 foot sheet of coroplast covers both sides and the other sheet makes a cover and two ends with very little waste.

At the end of September, I pull out the cucumber plants; add compost, manure, blood and bone meal, a little wood ash and a few shakes of lime. Then I plant the little plants quite closely, add a few celery plants out of the garden and any other plant which is not too mature. I find it

important not to water too much and to water only on a day that you can leave the cover off the frame so the leaves will dry well before nightfall.

With the cover on at night and the heater plugged in, the plants grow well until November when the days get so short.

Then they go almost dormant until February when they start to grow again. By November, the frame is a wall-to-wall sea of greens that keep me going through the winter months. I harvest a few outside leaves from each plant once or twice a week. By April, I have the big greenhouse started up and plant a small corner to the same greens to carry me through until the outside garden is producing. For the little bit of time and money invested in this setup, the rewards of fresh greens all winter are well worth it!

Pete Amyoony is a gardener in the Robson Valley of central B.C. high in the Rocky Mountains near Mount Robson. He has lived, worked and gardened in the Dunster area for almost thirty years.

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The Tourism Directory

Call Joe at 250-566-1444 or jnusse@therockymountaingoat.com

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

A9

$40 for 4 weeks, or $20 for one week

Teepee Meadows Cottage

Spectacular mountain and marshland scenery Phone:250-566-9875 Located 3 km west of Valemount

Hosts: Claude, Alke & Noland Germain 545 Jack Adams Road, Box 786 Valemount, BC V0E 2Z0 Open at 4:30 pm daily 1002 5th Avenue Valemount, B.C.

Visit us at www.caribougrill.com

The Business Directory

CRACKMASTER Windshield Repair/Replacement Specialists

PET SUPPLIES-HOME ELECTRONICS SHAW DIRECT TV-SIRIUS RADIOS FLAT GLASS-MIRROR-SCREENS CUSTOM VINYL SIGNS-BANNERS-VEHICLE GRAPHICS-MAGNETIC SIGNS WOOD & PELLET STOVES & SUPPLIES WOOD PELLETS

Business directories work!

Get noticed for only $10/week

@ Country Wide Sales & Services Ltd Conveniently located downtown @ 1160-5th Ave

Open 9 am -5:30 pm Monday thru Friday

250.566.4380

Briefs: STREAMFLOW AND DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN B.C. Due to dry weather in July and recordlow river levels in the northern half of British Columbia. The Peace region has been reclassified to Drought Level 4 (extremely dry conditions).

A high-pressure ridge over the province brought dry, above-average, and in some cases record-setting temperatures for most areas of British Columbia during the past week. In northern B.C., river levels are well below normal. In the Peace region, most tributaries are near or at record minimum low flows for this time of year. The Moberly, Pine, Kiskatinaw, Halfway, Finlay, Ospika, Omineca, Mesilinka and Osilinka, and Nation rivers are

extremely dry (near or below previously recorded low for the date). In the far Northeast, the Liard River has now also fallen to historic low flows. On the North Coast, the Skeena and Stikine rivers are below a 20-year return period low flow.

Flows along the mainstem of the Fraser River downstream of the confluence of the McGregor River are at 10-year return period low flows. In the Central Interior, the Cariboo region is also dry with the Quesnel and Horsefly rivers between 10to 20-year return period low flows. In contrast, streams in the Chilcotin region are generally between median and fiveyear return period low flows.

In the Thompson River area, water levels on most streams are between median

and five-year low flows. Similar conditions are present in the Similkameen and Okanagan region, with most streams between median and five-year return period low flows.

B.C., CLINTON PARTNER ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The Province and the Village of Clinton have signed an agreement that will support the community’s future economic development.The Village of Clinton and the Province have identified ten priority projects on which to focus in meeting the community’s immediate and longterm economic goals: diversification of tax base revenue; remediation of brownfield and contaminated sites; high-speed

Internet and mobile phone infrastructure; increased social sustainability and volunteer capacity; looking at a shared services model; community forest opportunities; western heritage downtown revitalization; improved business climate; community economic development support and transportation infrastructure planning.

It is anticipated that RuralBC Secretariat staff will work with up to 14 communities across the province over the next three years to develop similar agreements. Announced by Premier Gordon Campbell at the 2008 Union of BC Municipalities convention. The RuralBC Secretariat is a vehicle linking rural communities to provincial government services

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

www.therockymountaingoat.com

Plain Talk Horoscopes

Twenty for a Toonie: The Classified Ads Classified ads policy If it is for free, it is free.

Up to 20 words for $2, 30 words for $3, 40 words for $4 etc. If the asking price is over $499, then it is $5 for 20 words, $6 for 30 words etc. Non-business announcements are welcome at the same rates.

The Rocky Mountain Goat reserves the right to refuse to print any classified submission that is not an advertisement of a private sale, or rental arrangement.

For Sale

Wanted

Salvaged metal siding for sale. Perfect for any outbuilding or shop. Approximately 550-600 square foot coverage. Will consider any offer! Call Joe 250-566-1444

500 gal. single-wall fuel tank. Asking $200. Call 250566-5069, ask for Jared

Your ad here

Trusses for sale. Approximately 42 foot span. 14 units. Single slant, could be modified with a chalk line and skill saw. Now considering offers! Call Joe 250566-1444 and skill saw. Now considering offers! Call Joe 250-566-1444

Shared Accommodation dwntwn McBride Incl: lge bdrm with private entrance, ADSL, phone/voice box, furniture. Shared: util, TV, house/yard. NS, ND/A (no drugs/alcohol), No Pets.

Refs plse. $450 - 569-8807

Heifer and one-year old llama for sale. Cute kitten to give away. Call 250-5660010, ask for Maria.

Wanted: chairs, hammock,porch couch, filing cabinets. Call 250566-5135

House for sale. Three bedrooms. Two bathrooms.

14th Avenue. Asking $175, 000. Call 1-867-332-4778.

Ask for Ryan.

Roommate Wanted

Mobile Home with full addition, and large garage on a lot, in Valemount recently renovated. comes w/ fridge stove washer dryer.

Currently & rented.

Asking Kakuro Futoshiki $110.000.00 O.B.O Call 778 328 7285 leave a message.

$295 plus shared utilities.

1 bedroom in 2 bedroom apartment in Valemount.

250-566-4044 For Free

Sudoku-Puzzles .net

or call the goat, or place your ad in an envelope with payment and drop it in our mailbox, 1070 5th Ave

House For Rent. 3 bedrooms. 14 th. Wood Heat and propane. $900/month.

Call 1-867-332-4778. Ask for Ryan.

Substitute: Joseph Nusse

Used Building Materials

Why pay more for a classified ad than what you are selling is www. worth?

How to submit an ad Sudoku, Our ads are cheap, and To submit your EVERYBODY reads a free newspaper classified ad, e-mail

For Rent

By Craig Elder, M.A. Economics (M.I.A.)

For free! Desperately seeking a good home for a small 3-year old blue-healer-rottweiller cross male dog, or if Puzzles you can also provide temporary foster parenting as well, please call: 250-566-0173.

Sudoku 9x9 - Medium (135187164)

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THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF MCBRIDE

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Development Variance Permit No. 03-2010

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Notice is hereby given that a public hearing for proposed Development Variance Permit No. 03-2010 will be held:

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Aries: Instead of counting sheep, gain sleep this week by counting goats.

Taurus: Cougars roam the valley. Be sure to act older and larger than you really are.

Gemini: Economic realities are tough. Think twice before leaving your government job.

Cancer: If you are selling your house, try painting it bright pink to attract buyers’ attention.

Leo: An autumn hike results in a bear spray accident. Remember, bear repellent is not the same as bug repellent.

Virgo: Your personal life is taking a hit. Stop looking in both directions before crossing the street. This may result in a conversation starter.

Libra: Do not trust external hard drives. Your astrologer guarantees better computer file back up with 3 ½ inch floppy disks.

Scorpio: Take out an ad or suffer the wrath of us hiring the Spence Diamonds guy to promote our sales.

Sagittarius: Your vehicle starts producing blue smoke.

But really, what is cheaper, a new engine, or motor oil?

Capricorn: Follow that rainbow. If you do not find gold, at the very least you will start basing your life on far better financial planning.

Aquarius: Gold prices are up. Remember, you only need to find one ounce to earn $1,000. Time to move to the Yukon.

Pieces: That nagging urge to get your firewood in is getting stronger with every shorter day. Better hurry or somebody else is going to get all of the dead pine before you do.

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Be the first to sponsor the $2 classified ads!

Let The Rocky Mountain GoatSolution: assist your business with targetedwww.sudoku-puzzles.net marketing ideas.

Exclusive 2.25 inches high by a whole page width at the bottom of the calssified page for $75/week

7:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 7, 2010 Village of McBride Council Chambers 100 Robson Centre – 855 SW Frontage Rd. McBride, BC The purpose of Development Variance Permit No. 032010 is to vary section 22.6 of Zoning Bylaw No. 703, 2010 to reduce the side setback requirement from ten (10) feet to two (2) feet at the property legally described as Lot 7, Block 5, Plan 1373, DL 5316 (241 Dominion Street).

At the public hearing, all those who deem their interest in the land to be affected by the proposed Development Variance Permit No. 03-2010 shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard or to present written submissions.

Any material received before or at the public hearing will become public information. Please note that emails cannot be accepted as written submissions.

A copy of the Development Variance Permit application may be examined at the office of the Village of McBride, 100 Robson Centre-855 SW Frontage Road, McBride, BC, during regular office hours from August 23 to September 7, 2010.

Eliana Clements Chief Administrative Officer

www.therockymountaingoat.com

Community Events August

A11

September

Aug. 25 Circle Dance Location: Dunster Hall 7 to 9 p.m.

Sept. 4-5 Valemount Marina Association Annual Fishing Derby Location: Kinbasket Lake near Valemount

Aug. 28 Arts Festival Location: Valemount Museum 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Sept. 10-12 60th anniversary of the train wreck near Valemount that killed 17 soldiers who were en route to Korea.

Location: Valemount

Aug. 27-29 Jasper Wildlife Festival

Sept. 15 Community Awareness Night Location: Valemount Community Hall

Got a community event?

Let us know! lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Sept. 17th Thrift Store Fashion Show Location: Anglican Church, McBride

Ongoing diversions Every day Interpretive talks on spawning salmon Valemount Visitor Centre 7 p.m.

Every Wednesday Farmer’s Market in Jasper Location: Jasper Legion parking lot 10 a.m.

Valemount Seniors’ Music Night 7p.m.

Every Thursday Cribbage tournament Location: Valemount Golden Years Lodge lower level 1-4 p.m.

Every Friday Farmer’s Market in McBride 12-3 Location: McBride Village Park In Valemount: Musical jam at The Gathering Tree cafe, 7 p.m.

Hamburgers and drinks at the Legion, 5:30 p.m.

Every Friday to Sunday Live music on the Canoe Mountain Restaurant patio.

Location: Valemount 7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Every Saturday Farmer’s Market in Dunster 10 a.m.

Location: Dunster Community Hall Farmer’s Market in McBride

Did you know?

The Robson Valley is only one hour from Jasper. Ways to travel: By train: Three days a week, catch the 12:45 train from Jasper through Mount Robson Park to Dunster or McBride or all the way to Prince George or Prince Rupert. Cost to McBride (1-way)= $30 By bus: Catch a Greyhound bus to Valemount for $25 or to McBride for $36. By car: Take Hwy 16 west to Dunster or McBride. To get to Valemount or Blue River, turn onto Hwy 5.

Robson Valley Weather Wednesday 21 9 P.O.P. 40%

Thursday 17 7 P.O.P. 40%

Friday 14 5 P.O.P. 20%

Saturday 14 3 Cloudy, P.O.P 30%

Sunday 17 5 Sun and cloud

Monday

Where are you?

16 5 P.O.P. 60%

A12

www.therockymountaingoat.com

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Right Agent... For Today’s Market Spittal Crk, Tete Jaune Cache

- Nestled in the Rockies - Cottage & modular - Spectacular views - Private 9.15 acres

Each office is independently owned and operated Data is from sources believed to be reliable but accuracy is not guaranteed.

201 Dominion St, McBride Sponagle Rd, Salmon Valley, BC #10-151 Columbia St, McBride

Reduced!

$159,000

RE/MAX Centre city • 1679 15th Avenue • Prince George BC V2L 3X2 • 1-250-562-3600

$140,000

- Nice heritage home on two large lots - Five bdrms, 2 baths - Excellent guest house - VENDOR MOVING

NEW!

Reduced!

$69,900

$45,000

- Nice 5 acre parcel - Treed View lot - Water is in - Ready to build on

- Affordable housing -Nicest lot in park - Two bed, two bath -Huge sundeck & yard

250-981-5742 or 250-569-0125 or Toll Free: 1-877-732-5767 • allanmiller@remax.net

AL Miller

MCBRIDE, VALEMOUNT, AND AREA View all listings at: www.robsonvalleyrealestate.ca THE HARD-WORKING NICE GUY

Public input needed for Willmore Park study

Joseph Nusse jnusse@therockymountaingoat.com

While The Wilmore Wilderness Park is entirely in Alberta, it has become an important attribute to many outfitters, hunters, and other recreationists who access it from the McBride side of the Rocky Mountains. The 4,600-squarekm park remains exceptionally beautiful and offers a wild and rugged wilderness to those who are looking for a primitive wilderness experience, and it is starting to see increased use. This increased use has been largely unmonitored, until now. University of Alberta Graduate Student Debbie Mucha is about to initiate a study which will explore the many

uses of the park. The study, titled ‘The Human Dimension: Visitor Use Analysis of Willmore Wilderness’ is a project being conducted as part of Mucha’s University of Alberta masters’ thesis with support from the Foothills Research Institute in Hinton, Alberta.

The aim of the project is to learn more about Willmore Wilderness Park users and their trips into the Willmore. The and will be completed while she remains an employee of the Foothills Research Institute. As part of this project, Debbie and two project staff are conducting Willmore Wilderness Park user surveys

(including a mail-out in-depth questionnaire for those who are interested), determining user and wildlife numbers through trail cameras, mapping user patterns through GPS Tracksticks, as well as through conducting interviews with selected individuals. According to Mucha, this information is critical as it will help ensure that the trip experience of Willmore users is being maintained and improved.

“Currently, not much is known about Willmore Wilderness Park users, where they go when they visit the park and why they choose to visit,” says Mucha. ”I’m very interested in learning more about Willmore users who enter the park from more remote access points on the B.C. side of the park. We have put allot of effort into focusing on the main staging areas of the park on the Alberta

Submitted photos side, but the entry points from the B.C. side of the park remain a mystery.”

Willmore Wilderness Park users that are interested in helping with the project can start by filling out a survey each time they visit Willmore in the 2010 season. Surveys and project information are available online at the Foothills Research Institute Website.

Thick smoke causes health concerns... ...continued from A3 The Chief Medical Health Officer for the Northern Health Authority also warned people suffering from asthma or other chronic illness should activate their asthma or personal care plan.

Thomas White, who manages water and air monitoring for the Ministry of Environment, says a monitor is not always needed to make an advisory. The Ministry’s new smoke forecasting system is one tool to figuring out where the air may become polluted. He also says people should be responsible for knowing what to do if they see the air outside is smokey.

The Ministry maintains 150 monitors throughout the province. Large-scale industrial operations are also required to install and maintain continuous monitors.

A continuous monitor costs roughly $10,000 to install. Results from the

monitors are posted to the B.C. air quality website every hour.

Fudge says if more people contacted the ministry asking about getting a continuous monitor that would increase the chances of getting one. The size of the population and the consistency of a polluting source also determine which areas get continuous monitors.

In Valemount, the air quality committee is in limbo as the Village waits to hear back from the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George whether the district will take on the responsibility for air quality in the region. Village administrator Tom Dall says they expect to hear back within a week.

The smoke last week contained toxic dust and chemicals known as particulate matter (PM), which affects more people than any other pollutant, according to The World Health Organization.

The major components of PM are sulfate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, carbon, mineral dust and water. It’s a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles of organic and inorganic substances suspended in the air.

PM10 are particles with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10 µm and PM2.5 have an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µm. The latter are more dangerous since, when inhaled, they may reach the peripheral regions of the bronchioles, and interfere with gas exchange inside the lungs.

Last week, levels of PM10 and PM2.5 were far above the safe guidelines. The provincial air quality objective for coarse particles, PM10, is 50 micrograms per cubic metre, averaged over 24 hours. The average was three to four times that level in Prince George several days last week. The objective for fine

particles, PM2.5, is 25 micrograms per cubic metre, averaged over 24 hours. On Friday, the average was 158 μg/m3 at the Plaza 400 downtown site and 180 μg/m3 at College Heights site.

“Asthmatics or elderly people would find that 50 should be lower,” Fudge says. “The higher the numbers, the worse it is.”

The World Health Organization targets are a maximum of three days a year with up to 150 micrograms of PM10 per cubic metre and 70 micrograms per cubic metre for long-term exposures to PM10.

The WHO reports that by reducing PM10 from 70 to 20 micrograms per cubic metres, air-quality related deaths would drop by about 15 per cent.

On a clear day the number of fine and coarse particles is close to zero.