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Rocky Mountain Goat Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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Volume 1 Issue 2
HST advertising black-out nears its end Frustrated business owners may finally get tax details from the province Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com Caught in the limbo of the loomThe problem stems from an advertising HST and a province-wide petition ing ban that has prevented the provinagainst it, some business owners are cial government from distributing instill wondering how some items and formation directly about the tax. That services will be taxed. rule will be lifted come July — after Scheduled for July 1st, the HST is the tax comes into effect. Elections BC supposed to save the province and prevented the province from dissemibusinesses money by combining the nating details because of the anti-HST PST and GST into one federally-run petition. There are strict rules about tax. Some small business owners say, advertising during such an initiative, however, they have been blind sided by says Prince George-Valemount MLA poor communication about the tax. Shirley Bond. The provincial governJean Dennis, who runs a ment did not register to besupply store with her huscome part of the initiative, “Guys like me are only band Terry in Valemount, which means they cannot the collectors. The unsays the government has advertize on the HST while paid (tax) collectors. not made it clear what the initiative lasts. So we’re bearing the is taxable and what isn’t Bond says the government brunt of it.” under the new rules. “It’s recognizes the lost opporBob Balcaen, Mcsupposed to happen on tunity. The finance minister the first and we don’t have Bride business owner. wanted to send out an inforany information, really, mation package that would other than ‘It’s coming.’” have explained the rules of the tax, but “Your customers ask you a question it went against the Recall and Initiative and you don’t know the answer any Act, which requires advertisers to regbetter than they do.” ister and limits their spending. The HST should save small businesses “I can understand why people are first between $2,000 and $46,000 each year, of all confused, and secondly, angry, depending on the business, according because we did a very poor job of this,” to government estimates, . she says. “As an MLA, I can tell you, But Dennis says she has had a hard it is complicated. I have spent a lot of time figuring out what money will go time trying to figure out what’s on the where. The four information leaflets list, what’s not on the list and I still rely she got in the mail from the Canada on advice from an expert.” Revenue Agency referred her to a webOnce the initiative period ends in July, site. When she got to the website, she the government will then be free to exfound only limited lists of what items plain the HST in more detail. and services fall under the HST rules. “The challenge there is we’re already “It’s really great at frustrating you,” transitioned to the HST so we’re alshe says. “It’s like saying ‘It’s over there,’ ready behind the eight ball,” Bond says. waving at a wall of 40 boxes.”
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Laura Keil In Valemount, Viviana Zeas from Ecuador (right) and Yuki Tominaga from Japan watch Brazil play North Korea in the World Cup Series, which runs until July 11. See p. 8 & 9
Rescued mare Belle led the parade during McBride`s Adventure Weekend. Belle was rehabilitated after she was abandoned on a mountainside two years ago. For more, see P. 11
More Inside: McBride Adventure Weekend
Iconic raven totem leaves Jasper
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Haida Gwaii ambassador stops off in McBride Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com A special train came through McBride last week. The ambassador from Haida Gwaii enjoyed a brief stop-over on the way to Prince George, while he accompanied the iconic Jasper totem pole. The pole is being repatriated to Masset in Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) after standing in Jasper for 94 years. Rodney Brown, ambassador from Haida Gwaii, says accompanying the totem home is Haida tradition. “It’s kind of like escorting someone who hasn’t been home in a long time,” he says. “He hasn’t been home for over 100 years.” The Raven totem pole was originally carved by a master Haida carver in the 1870s or 80s and brought to Jasper by Canadian National Railways around 1915. It was meant to be part of the gateway to the Pacific Northwest so visitors on the train would see the totem pole and get a taste of things to come, says Lori Dowling, who manages the Jasper totem project for Parks Canada. She says the totem became a beacon to visitors coming in on the trains and meeting place for residents. In recent years it became too rotten to remain where it was so Parks Canada chose to remove it and return it to the Haida. Once in Masset, it will be erected in a log house, which will become its permanent home. Five other totems will be raised with it. Brown says the Haida have been repatriating a lot of artifacts and bones from museums all over the world. “It’s very moving to me. It’s my history. It’s what made me who I am today.” Parks Canada is commissioning a new totem to re-
Laura Keil The Haida Gwaii ambassador Rodney Brown shows off his traditional Haida garment during a stop-over in McBride. Brown is accompanying the totem back to the Haida Gwaii. A new totem pole will be erected in Jasper sometime in late summer or fall of 2010.
place the old one in Jasper. The new one won’t be a replica, but it will stand in a similar location. “The Jasper totem pole is very important to the residents of Jasper,” Dowling says. “People can’t remember a time when there wasn’t a totem pole in Jasper. During the final viewing of the totem in Jasper,
some 4,000 people came by in four days. The farewell ceremony happened last week before it was loaded onto a truck for its return. “It’s now on its journey home,” Dowling says. The repatriation ceremony happened in Masset June 21.
Re-stocking Robson Valley’s lakes and streams Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com Craig Adamson has a delivery: 1500 squirming fingerlings. Adamson is with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. Every spring he loads up his truck from the Clearwater hatchery and trundles down dirt logging roads to reach remote lakes and streams. The 1500 Eastern Brook Trout in his truck today are destined for Shere Lake, halfway between Valemount and McBride. The fish are infertile and female-only meaning they won’t disturb the breeding patterns of any existing fish, and will provide better meat to fishers. Adamson’s work is partly paid for through fishing licenses. He makes sure the fishers have plenty to catch. The Freshwater Fisheries Society stocks 900 lakes and streams in the province annually in the spring or fall. In addition to Eastern Brook Trout, they also stock streams and lakes with Kokanee salmon, Blackwater Rainbow Trout and Pennask Rainbow Trout.
Laura Keil
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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“Taxes are Taxes.” HST cont’ The government has had to rely on other agencies like chambers of commerce to do the explaining. For people like Dennis, this means continued frustration. She has not been able to determine whether to charge the tax on autobody service, satellite installations and what to charge certain people such as registered Indians and CN employees. Her husband Terry went to a local information meeting, but the details they needed were not provided, since the meeting was to provide general information. “It was about as informative as that piece of paper,” she says, referring to one of the information sheets she received from the Canada Revenue Agency. The Canada Revenue Agency organized information meetings in some areas of the province, but none in the Robson Valley. The closest seminar is in Prince George and the first two-hour meeting is already
full. Bond says she intends to find out why there were so few rural seminars offered. Cathy Crofford, owner of Premier Coin Laundry in Valemount, signed the anti-HST petition and says she is raising prices because of what she learned of the tax. She says she is unhappy about the confusion. “It’ll be a nightmare if they go to referendum after it’s implemented.” Even business owners who say they are well aware of the tax, bemoan the lack of information, and say everyone should be more informed. Bob Balcaen owns an appliance and electronics shop in McBride. He says many people don’t see the benefits of the tax, but there hasn’t been enough information for the public – for consumers as well as businesses. “Guys like me are only the collectors. The unpaid (tax) collectors. So we’re bearing
Laura Keil Jean Dennis holds up the letters she received from the Canada Revenue Agency and the B.C. Ministry of Finance on the HST. They refer her to websites for more information.
the brunt of it,” he says. “I feel there should be a little more explanation as to why we need this tax, what it’s going for.” While he says he believes the
process was handled badly, in the long-run the consumption tax is a fairer way to collect money for essential services like hospitals and schools.
Local entrepreneurs await green light for hydro project
Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com They have sweated along the banks of Castle Creek since 2003, and now four Robson Valley residents may finally get their chance. Harold Edwards, Pietro Caputo, John Wheeler and Jeff Heimbecker applied to B.C. Hydro’s Clean Power Call for a hydro-electric project near McBride. They will hear back any day whether they are next on the list. If so, they plan to get to work immediately building roads and bridges to the site 18 kilometres up Castle Creek.
The project is set to generate six megawatts of power to be sold into the grid. The four business partners have financed the project with their own funds thus far, with the total cost likely to run as high as $16 million. Caputo says the four partners worked on Hydro projects together before they founded Castle Mountain Hydro Ltd. “We just said, ‘It might be a good idea to start one of these projects. We’re doing it for everyone else and it seems like they’re making money.’”
They have been taking data from the stream for the past six years. They did Google Earth studies on the 15-m wide creek to determine places that had a good distance in elevation and steady flow rate. “We’ve cut trails and sweated and got cold and wet,” Edwards says. “It’s a huge amount of work we’ve put into it up to this point.” If approved, they will likely employ up to a dozen local people this year. The project falls under B.C. Hydro’s Call for Clean Power
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program, launched in 2008, which encourages the development of wind, hydro-electric and geothermal plants. Caputo says there is a lot of money needed and a lot of sweat. “It’s the adrenaline that keeps us going I think.” John Wheeler and Pietro Caputo are industrial electricians. Harold Edwards has a degree in geology and has built several small hydro projects on his farm. Jeff Heimbecker is a fabricator and welder.
“Taxes are taxes. If you’re going to have a good country, you got to pay taxes.”
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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McBride awarded for eco-friendly way of dealing with waste water Upgrades and construction to continue until 2013 Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com Visitors to McBride will have to sidestep some construction this summer as improvements are made to the sewer, storm water, and waste water system. The upgrades are part of a plan to deal with waste water in a more eco-friendly manner by reclaiming a former waste transfer station. The effort was recognized in early June when the Village was awarded the 2010 Best Community Project by The Economic Development Association of BC. The award recognizes association members who do outstanding work on community projects that promote economic development and support local economies. The village is expanding the lagoon to better deal with waste water, but will also be completing a 1-km trail system around the wetlands for visitors to en-
joy the towering trees and lurking deer. Contractors have also been contacted to install a gazebo and washrooms. The parking lot at the head of the trail is visible from Highway 16 near the bridge over the Fraser River. The trail, which skirts around the river before heading inland, is accessible to people using wheelchairs and people with mobility issues. Already, the smell of new trail mulch lingers as the sun beats down on the new trail. Margaret Graine, Economic Development Officer for McBride, says the village is using local contractors for the project. “It’s local labour and local lumber.” The trail system and gazebo portion of the project should be completed by next March. The next phase of the project should be completed by 2013.
Above: the trail that will encircle the lagoon, which skirts along the Graser River. Below: Columbia Street is all torn up due to new storm drains being installed. As the work nears its finish, construction will begin on the second cell of the waste water lagoon and sewer line replacements.
Laura Keil
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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Students and staff at Valemount Secondary say adieu to Claude Germain, the teacher who outran his students, taught them to stay warm outside and never shaved his beard that would take several months. The
Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com
After 33 years of teaching, Claude Germain says this September will be the first year he hasn’t gone to school since he was five years old. On his last day of teaching, he is happy he can spend the day with students he has enjoyed teaching so much. His last class was spent doing what he did best: taking his students out-ofdoors. After they traipsed down the dusty path to the ball diamond, Germain and his Grade 8 students gathered for one last game of softball. “They are very co-operative. They don’t complain,” he says about the 16 students he has for P.E. and French. Today he calls out “Venez ici” and his students gather around him. “He speaks French all the time,” says Hannah Van Der Roest. For Germain, there aren’t strict lines between classes, just as there aren’t strict lines between teacher and learner. Germain can outrun most of his students and is often part of the P.E.
Laura Keil
Germain negotiates softball teams with Colton Roy and Jay Vogelpohl
“They’d come back and they’d be smoky and have that wild look in their eye - they’d been in the bush.” Dan Kenkel, principal
activity, as he is today behind the plate. “That’s pretty remarkable that he only demands of the kids what he’s capable of himself,” says Dan Kenkel, principal at Valemount Secondary School. “He’s right out there with glove on, playing softball, curling and skating.” Germain will be remembered for leading the Outdoor Ed. program, which he calls his all-time favourite class. He invented the course when he arrived in Valemount 23 years ago. He used the class to teach survival skills, hunting techniques, and navigating in the bush. “He would march his kids out of here regardless whether it was snowing or windy and go down to the marsh and challenge them to make tea, so they’d have to get a fire started,” Kenkel says. “They’d come back and they’d be smoky and have that wild look in their eye that they’d been in the bush.” Germain wants to continue his wilderness bent by canoeing from Manitoba to Nunavut with his son, a trip
Laura Keil
Germain explains the rules to the softball game to his Grade 8 P.E. class.
Raphael Jamin
The teachers at Valemount Secondary sing a farewell song to Germain.
pilgrimage would take him back to the arctic where he and his wife Alke taught for five years in the 80s. They spent three years in Igloolik, now part of Nunavut, an island community of 800 off the coast of Baffin Island. Germain taught science, social studies and physical education to 15 students in Grade 7 to 9. Everyone spoke Inuktitut, a language Germain eventually learned, and before Grade 4, children knew no English. “It was like going to a foreign land. It was still Canada but it was more different than teaching in Europe.” The community had about 300 students, but not all came to school. To continue their education, they would have had to travel to Frobisher Bay. Most came to school for other reasons. “They went to school for the sheer pleasure of learning. Marks didn’t mean anything,” he says. “It was fun to teach kids who came to school just for learning.” Germain describes himself as a “very shy, quiet guy,” and in contrast to his wilderness savvy, Germain steers clear of most technologies. This year was the first time he went on the P.A. system. He decided to congratulate the girls’ volleyball team, which placed third in a Hinton tournament, beating out teams from larger schools. “He’s also kind of a maverick,” Kenkel says. When Germain got to the school in Valemount, he took it upon himself to fix up the sports equipment room. Kenkel says as a teacher, he’s not supposed to be doing maintenance work. “He just has this smirky smile and says ‘oh, well, it had to be done!’” “We’ll miss him around here.” Last week, the teachers sang a farewell song to Mr. Germain. It was called “The Beard of Claude Germain” and was sung to the tune of “The Good Old Hockey Game.” The teachers wore beards to pay tribute to the man who has never shaved his off. So will he ever get rid of the beard? With each new Grade 8 class he gets, he makes it clear from the beginning: “I can’t shave it off. I was born with it.” About a third of the class believes him, he says. Either way though, the big question – will he shave the beard in his retirement, is already answered. “I was born with the beard and I’ll die with it.” Germain will continue to run his vacation farm Teepee Meadows Guest Cottages with his wife in the coming years.
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Valemount seniors vie for spot in new units High occupancy and steady finances reported at annual general meeting Joseph Nusse jnusse@therockymountaingoat.com Some 18 people are vying for a spot in the new seniors housing project planned for third avenue, but only about half of them will get to move into one of the 10 units being built. Construction on the building has begun in Valemount and should begin soon in McBride. The units will likely be ready for tenants this fall. Valemount Senior Citizens Housing Society administrator Bobbi Roe says excitement is building. “Everything is ready,” she says. The issue of housing came up during the Valemount Senior Citizen’s Housing Committee annual general meeting on June 9th. The new units aren’t the only new development. At the Golden Years Lodge, some improvements are planned for the coming year. The front door has always given seniors trouble. Roe says the door needs a heavier automatic opener because of a wind tunnel effect that makes it difficult for some seniors to open
it. The Society would also like the new door to come installed with automatic locks. It applied for funding to the Columbia Basin Trust, but has not yet secured a grant. Roe says the front door remains a high priority. Several residents have taken on ambitious gardening projects in many garden beds around the lodge grounds. Besides providing affordable housing for seniors, the society oversees the local Meals on Wheels project. According to Roe, the service is being used by six to 12 clients three times a week. The program is not quite paying for itself, Roe says, but donations have made up the difference. A seniors group from Smithers B.C. will be stopping at the Golden Years Lodge for dinner on July 6. Due to a heater failure, some carpet renovations, as well as some internet upgrades, the society’s savings have dwindled, but on the other hand, occupancy at the Golden
Courtesy B.C. Housing An example of the layout of one of the new senior housing units being built in Valemount and McBride this summer.
Years Lodge has remained at 100 per cent for several years now. This demand does not appear to be ceasing any time soon either. While the capital asset fund and the replacement reserve fund has been the main source of funding for these costs, the society is satisfied with their financial situation heading into another year. While replacing money drawn from the replacement reserve fund will remain a high prior-
ity for the society, the board is excited to expand their services in the coming years. KPMG Chartered Accountants out of Prince George audits the society’s finances on a yearly basis, and continues to give a passing mark on the society’s handling of funds. While the invoice for this annual audit totaled $7,830.00 for the 2009 fiscal year, KPMG donated a discount of $3,820. In 2009, the society raised only $1000 in other donations and fun-
draising efforts. This is down significantly from $3,791 of the previous year. The society also depends on annual grants from the British Columbia Housing Management Commission, a government body which also oversees and approves their financial planning. Other revenues are generated from rental income and parking fees. If anybody is wishing to get involved with the Meals on Wheels program or requires
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Change to northern health
Half million for temporary job creation
Patients travelling to Kamloops from Valemount on the Northern Health bus each week will see busier buses come October when Northern Health and Interior Health combine their routes. Northern Health shuttles patients from Valemount to Kamloops each Thursday. Interior Health transports people from Blue River to Kamloops for health appointments on the same day, meaning the routes overlap. Brent Hobbs who is in charge of the buses for Interior Health says patients leav-
The provincial and federal governments are creating 21 temporary jobs in Valemount and McBride. Just under $500,000 will create eight jobs in McBride and another eight in Valemount. Workers will brush, weed, space and prune trees and shrubs in the village, for McBride based L.C.R. Holdings Ltd. The Village of Valemount will receive another $80,000 to employ five workers to remove pine beetle affected trees, and to thin, prune, and remove brush around the village.
ing from Valemount should not notice any differences in scheduling when Northern Health takes over the route Oct. 1st. Hobbs says people using the bus as public transit from Blue River to Kamloops will no longer be allowed to ride unless they have a medical appointment. Some 75 people use the health buses between Valemount, Blue River and Kamloops each month. Health patients are allowed to bring a support person on the bus.
Spokesperson Tim Morrison said the idea would be for laidoff workers to gain new skills and hopefully retain the position once the funding runs out. The Job Opportunities Program, now in its final year, was first announced in May 2008. Last summer, the Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia each committed up to an additional $30 million towards the program. The $1 billion Community Adjustment Fund is a twoyear, national program part of Canada’s Economic Action
Plan. Its mandate is to support projects that create jobs and maintain employment in rural communities. Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod says the projects will help improve the forestry sector and help the region recover from the economic downtown. The Province of British Columbia’s contribution to the Job Opportunities Program is part of its commitment to provide stability for workers and communities, and maintain the workforce during the economic downturn.
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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New installation challenges visitors to walk the solar system Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com
Matthew Wheeler is looking for earth. It’s somewhere between the McBride info centre and First Avenue. “Right about here,” he says, swivelling around. The sun is the globular lamp light at the end of Main Street. None of these planets rotate, but Wheeler has charted their orbits perfectly. “There’s the real Venus there,” he says, gesturing to the roof of the train station. In its real orbit that is where Venus would be according to his model. He has marked on the sidewalk where each planet would be if it were lined up with the other planets. Saturn is about 400 m from the sun near the McBride entrance sign and Pluto is two kms away on the other side of the Fraser River. The idea, Wheeler says, is if you have a tiny moon and hold it closer, it’ll look the same size as the real moon. It’s also to give people an idea how far apart the planets are and how fast you have to travel to go between them. The scale is ten billion to one. “We’re travelling faster than light speed,” he says, walking down the sidewalk where every so often we come across painted yellow stripes denoting how
far each planet travels in a day around the sun. Wheeler hopes the permanent installation will encourage visitors and locals to re-think the immensity of our universe – and explore the city centre a little differently. He gave tours during Adventure Weekend in McBride where star gazers could see the real Saturn, Mars and Venus. “It’s really an aid to the imagination,” he says. “You think how impossibly, stupidly small they all are and now just think what we’ve actually seen with spacecraft that have travelled to these far-out places.” A spacecraft at this scale would be a few atoms big. Because the planets are perfectly to scale, you can get an accurate view of how big the sun would appear from any planet if you look back at the lamppost. Wheeler says he has been gazing at the night sky near McBride since he was a child and was shocked at the immensity. Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, is more than halfway down the street. “It’s still almost the brightest thing in the evening sky,” he says, sheltering his eyes to look back at the sun, now just a tiny dot at the end of the street.
Matthew Wheeler shows a grain of sand the size of Mercury in his scale model. The “sun” is the lamppost.
“And yet how little sunlight is getting there.” He says it’s discouraging to think about humans ever finding another solar system with a star like the sun that could support life. The nearest star according to this scale model? Antarctica. Wheeler hopes classrooms will use the exhibit for projects – creating their own scale planets, for example. He hopes kids will gain a better understanding of our solar system. “The kids` books are really nice to have, but they show these big fat planets piled up
on each other on the same page and it gives a false idea.” The installation will include plaques that explain the project. The blue sidewalks painted four years ago provide a perfect backdrop, he says. He has painted dots on the sidewalk denoting the size of the planets – most are no bigger than a grain of sand relative to the sun lamppost. You can walk the whole route and it is wheelchair accessible – though Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are on the other side of Highway 16. The model solar system was
made possible with the help of the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, The McBride Community Forest Corp., The Village of McBride, Robson Valley Arts and Culture Council and many other volunteers. Wheeler warns that anyone wanting to see Saturn and Mars will need to look in the next week or two because Earth is leaving them behind. Venus, which is so bright it can be seen in daylight, is easy to spot in the west at twilight, and will become brighter as it catches up with Earth.
scientists doing future studies can monitor change within and between species. While neither Boyle nor Genton possesses the rugged, unkempt, crocodile hunter look you may imagine (i.e. they’d be quite at home in downtown Valemount’s cafes), don’t let these city-goers fool you: their reptile-wrestling abilities are not to be matched. Their method is relatively simple: creep silently through the peatland keeping an eye out for slithering. When movement is detected, pounce at the reptile (or amphibian) with typical Steve Irwin speed from among the reeds. They say catching snakes is not as hazardous you would think. “They are actually quite docile,” says Genton. “The only real danger is the foul musk they emit to deter predators when frightened.”
After catching a specimen, the biologists measure and record a number of traits such as size, weight, sex, and other unique characteristics. The specimen is photographed and tagged – meaning a scale is clipped to identify the specimen in future studies or later in the same study. To obtain a thorough assessment of the reservoir’s reptiles and amphibians, Boyle and Genton will be here throughout this summer and next summer. And since they usually get a chance to wash off the snake musk before coming into town, they are quite approachable and curious to hear where and when you have seen garter snakes. “Garter snakes are really fascinating creatures and any fear of them can be eased by simply
learning more about them,” Boyle reminds me. So next time you see a snake in the valley, dismiss the urge to scream and run for the nearest broomstick. It’s not an Amazonian Anaconda but rather a harmless garter snake. Instead, be still and watch the slithering specimen, then promptly email Boyle to tell her its whereabouts before learning more. Kelly Boyle can be reached at kdboyle@uvic.ca.
Reptile Wrestling in the Reservoir Jared Smith Special to the Goat Ambling through the marshy peatlands of the northeast reach of Kinbasket reservoir are two new visitors to the Robson Valley. At first glance, it looks as if these women may have gotten terribly lost in their search for the now-covered hot springs or the valley’s elusive Sasquatch. As it turns out, Kelly Boyle and Nicole Genton are not searching for a relaxing soak or an encounter with the unknown. Boyle is conducting research as part of her Master’s degree requirements for the University of Victoria while Genton is gaining degree-related field experience. The duo is submitting their findings to BC Hydro which has an ongoing 10-year study to monitor the impacts of fluctuating water levels on the reservoir’s wildlife. They are fo-
cusing on reptiles and amphibians which make the peatland home. These include garter snakes, of which there are two species in the area, the Western Terrestrial and the common garter snake; the Boreal Toad; the Columbia Spotted Frog; and the Long-toad Salamander, to name a few. Other field biologists contributing research from the area are searching the drawdown zone, an area of fluctuating water levels, for small mammals, birds and insects. The goal of the study is to establish an inventory of species living in the drawdown zone and how they compare to members of the same species living in areas without fluctuating water levels. It also establishes a baseline of the area’s wildlife so that future studies will have a reference point to compare data with. With the number and type of species catalogued,
LK
Below: a long-toed salamander
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
World Cup in the Valley
Many Canadians don’t pay attention to the World Cup Series, but for hundreds of millions of people, it’s a time countries and families come together Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com As the sun casts its early rays above McKirdy Mountain, Seunghyun Hwang puts on his red Korea jersey and piles Korean snack food in front of the TV. It is 4 a.m. and outside his shared house in Valemount frost is visible on car windshields. The game begins: South Korea versus Argentina. The World Cup Finals happen only every four years, but for most of the world, the series rouses young and old to stop what they are doing and watch. Over 700 million people watched the last championship game when Italy beat France in 2006. The series has become a cultural event that many celebrate even when outside their home country. Hwang sits down on the floor
and rips open a bag of snacks. South Korea has never won the championship. But that doesn’t mean the fans don’t cheer. “They are not Korean I think,” Hwang says, referring to his two roommates who remain in bed. Hwang is here to learn English and is working at a hotel. He can’t find many people in Canada who will watch the World Cup, but he knows at home, South Koreans are watching along with him. As dawn becomes morning, Hwang learns that his devotion will not be rewarded. Argentina wins the game 4-1. South Korea won its first World Cup game in 2002. In this World Cup, they beat Greece, but lost to Argentina.
Seunghyun Hwang got up at 4 a.m. to watch South Korea play Argentina. Korea lost the match 4-1.
Hwang cups his face in both hands when Argentina scores
their fourth goal. Korea meets with Nigeria next. Hwang
says he will watch the games whether Korea wins or loses.
“We say ‘World Cup’ and we know what we’re talking about. Here I say ‘World Cup’, and people are like ‘What World Cup are you talking about?’” - Jamille Barcelos.
Yuki Tominaga (left) and Luciana Reboucas watch Brazil play North Korea. The channel didn’t work on their home TVs so they came to the Best Western Hotel in Valemount.
In the Best Western Hotel “Everybody was crying. It was lounge in Valemount, eight so emotional. It was the first people clad in yellow stare up time I cried from happiness.” at the wall. No one else is in the She says everybody gets tolounge this afternoon. Eduar- gether before the tournament do Vieira holds a Brazilian flag to paint the street the team’s on his lap, his eyes transfixed colours – yellow and green. on the TV suspended near the “Some places you go there’s bar. still paint from 1994,” says The Brazil National Football Jamille Barcelos. Team is the most successful She kids that only hospiteam in World tals and bars Cup history, “Everybody was crying. are open during having won five It was so emotional. the World Cup. championships. It was the first time I Here, the atmoThe culture cried from happiness.” sphere is much around soccer in different. Brazil is far dif- Talline Spaziani on “We say ‘World ferent from here, Brazil winning the Cup’ and we Talline Spaziani 1994 finals. know what we’re explains. The talking about,” whole country watches. Even she says. “Here I say ‘World waitresses stop to watch the Cup’, and people are like ‘What game, and no one minds. World Cup are you talking Even though Brazil won the about?’” cup in 2002, Spaziani says the They were supposed to watch team’s win in 1994 was more the game together at home, but memorable. She was 12 at the all they got was a black screen. time but she remembers all the They all work at the hotel, so decorations and the big mo- they came here instead. ment. Cont’ on next page
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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Above: Cornelius and Tobias Mair watch the Germany game against Serbia. Right: Eduardo Vieira watches as his favourite player Kaka gets a red card. Photos: Laura Keil
Cont’ from last page The five Brazilians are accompanied by Yuki Tominaga from Japan, Viviana Zeas from Ecuador, and Denis Ivanov from Russia. They all watch the game with blank-faced intensity. The next World Cup will be in Brazil in 2014. All the Brazilians say they will be there to watch. Four of them gathered again another day to watch Brazil face the Cote d’Ivoire, this time at Spaziani and Ivanov’s apartment, where they have hung a Brazilian flag from the balcony. Spaziani has her computer on the coffee table. Throughout the game she keeps open a live video chat with her family in Brazil. They are also watching the game. The only curious thing is they cheer for goals slightly before they are scored. “The transmission must be slightly faster there,” Spaziani says. On her screen, her Mom takes the computer down a flight of stairs to the TV room where several people are perched on a couch watching the game. They wave to the computer quickly before focussing back on the TV. With minutes left in the game, Brazil’s favoured player Kaka receives his second yellow card. He is expelled from the game and next game. “You’re joking!” yells Barcelos. “That is ridiculous!” She explains: “Everybody knows he’s the saint guy. He’s never fighting.” After the game they watch the highlights and commentary, discussing the poor call. After this game, Brazil is tied for goals with Argentina, their long-time rival.
Another person in Valemount, Tobias Mair, rolled out of bed to watch the 4 a.m. Germany game last week against Serbia. Mair comes from Bavaria and had his Bavarian flag out for the game. “It started really good for Germany,” Meier says. “But after the yellow and red card for Germany, it was bad.” Germany missed a penalty shot and Serbia ended up winning the game 1-0. “Our experienced players weren’t clever enough,” he says. “And the referees were too strict. It was a combination.”
Germany is the youngest team in the tournament. Before the game against Serbia they had won against Australia. During the last World Cup, which was held in Germany, Mair says there were public screenings using projectors in beer gardens or homes where
people drank beer, had barbecues, and decorated with German flags. When Germany won third place against Portugal, Mair says the streets of Munich became a big party. What does a German football fan do to celebrate? Mair climbed into a fountain.
Talline Spaziani watches the game with EduardoVieira and Rafael Passos in Valemount. Spaziani watched the game with her family in Brazil through video chat. On the screen is her mom.
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Twenty for a Toonie: The Classified Ads Classified ads policy
Used Building Materials
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.
Hanging propane shop heater for sale. Listed as 65,000 BTU. Comes with mounting bracket. Will consider any offer! Call Joe 250-566-1444.
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.
Salvaged metal siding for sale. Perfect for any outbuilding or shop. Approximately 550-600 square foot coverage. Will consider any offer! Call Joe 250-5661444
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 Varying lengths of florescent light fixtures for sale. Will consider any offer! Call Joe 250-566-1444
Plain Talk Horoscopes By Craig Elder, M.A. Economics
Wanted Wanted: Rugs in good condition and a small bookshelf. Call Laura 250-566-5135.
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Aries: Racoons are watching you… waiting for their
chance.
Taurus: You are feeling great today. Nobody can stop you.
Gemini: You are unable to stop a Taurus from mak-
ing a horrible mistake. Cancer: A lack of motivation leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. Instant coffee just isn’t the same. Leo: Someone you meet today is not who they seem. Suspect everyone. Virgo: Vague pleasant things will happen to you today due to your vague pleasant qualities. Libra: You cannot comprehend anything going on around you today, including your horoscope. Sagittarius: Today is not a good day to make decisions – at least not after the second beer. Capricorn: As Venus crosses through your star sign, you will be happy you are finally putting your telescope to work. Aquarius: As a water sign it is very important you get three to eight glasses of water today. Pieces: You will have time to quietly reflect today, which is cool because you didn’t want to be invited to the party anyway.
The Rocky Mountain Goat is distributed weekly Office: 1070, 5th Avenue, Valemount British Columbia
Laura Keil
Telephone: (250) 566-1444 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
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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.
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Tuesday, June 22, 2010
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McBride Pioneer Parade and Adventure Weekend
Michael and Jakobi Blais take advantage of a river boat ride Saturday afternoon.
Rayana Slaney wears a Fire Chief hat with dad Matt Slaney.
Jody and Micah Keim dressed alike for their farm float in the parade
The star of the Pioneer Days parade was Belle, the three-year-old mare left for dead in the Renshaw area near McBride two years ago. She led the parade with trainer Birgit Stutz. Belle and Sundance, abandoned in the winter of 2008, were frostbitten and starving by the time snowmobilers discovered them and volunteers dug them out. Stutz was one of the core people involved in the rescue effort. After the parade, Belle was very intent on trimming the Elks lawn.
Visit www.therockymountaingoat.com for more photos
Dylan Vizza charges forward in the wheelchair relay.
Gardening with Pete Being resourceful with tomatoes Peter Amyoony Special to the Goat Every year so many of us look forward to the special taste of that first vine-ripened tomato. Like most fruit and veggies (the tomato is a fruit), they need good rich soil to grow well but take care not to give them too much nitrogen or you will get loads of leaves and poor fruit production. The most important ingredient to grow good tomatoes is heat. They need heat to grow well, heat to set fruit, and heat to ripen the fruit. If they get night temperatures below 55F (12C) they won’t grow well, they can’t set fruit (the flowers drop off) and they will ripen very slowly. Because our Valley has such cold night temperatures until mid July, most tomatoes don’t produce well in open gardens. However there are many ways to overcome these nighttime chills. The best choice is to grow all the heat-loving crops (tomato, basil, peppers, melon) in a greenhouse. If this is not possible, you can try cold frames or row covers for the first six to eight weeks after transplanting. This will give a few extra degrees of protection. Planting close to the south side of a house or other building will also give you extra heat at night. Some folks have great results with planting in a tire filled with good soil and
tomato plants (June 8-10 is good) be sure to plant them deeper than they were in the containers. You can bury the stem at least a few inches deeper. All the little fuzzy hairs on the lower stem will become new roots and will give you a much better plant. In the next column I will deal with pruning tomatoes for good production. Don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions.
Laura Keil
covering the entire thing with a dome-shaped lid each evening to keep in the days heat overnight. Another simple but effective idea I saw was to plant the tomato plants in raised beds (warmer soil), and place a tomato ring over each plant right away. Tomato rings are wire cages available at most hardware and feed stores. Then a dry-cleaning bag or other clear plastic was wrapped around the tomato ring with
the bottom buried in the soil. The top was cut so it could be opened in the day and closed every evening at sunset. The plastic was held in place with clothespins. This forms a mini greenhouse for each plant. You have to remember to open the top each morning or you will have cooked tomato plants by noon! Another way to increase your chances of success is to buy short season smaller tomatoes or those developed especially
for cool areas. (Ex. Springset and Coldset will set fruit down to 45F). If you want the big beefsteak types, which take 80 to 90 days of warm growing, it is best to get a greenhouse (or move to Mexico!). Many smaller types (2 – 2 ½ inch fruit) can ripen in 60 days. When planting out your
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.
Got a comment? Write us: lkeil@therocky mountaingoat.com