Northword Magazine July/August 2017

northword

ISSUE NO. 69

magazine

small animals big personality

JULY/AUGUST 2017

big landscapes small people

|

small insects big impact

THE SMALL ISSUE

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FREE

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COVER CONTEST! Find the

in the cover photo for your chance to win a one-of-a-kind Northword t-shirt!

Email contest@northword.ca with your best guess. Correct entries will be entered into a draw & the winner announced August 20.

ON THE COVER Marty Clemens captured this image of a girl holding a morel during his photographic exploration of “little people”. This picture says much about what it means to be a child, especially a child in northern BC. Check out the rest of his photos on page 23.

Legalities and limitations Copyright © 2017. All rights reserved. No part of Northword Magazine, in print or electronic form, may be reproduced or incorporated into any information retrieval systems without written permission of the publisher. Information about events, products or services provided is not necessarily complete. The publisher is not responsible in whole or in part for any errors or omissions.The views expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff or management. Northword assumes no liability for improper or negligent business practices by advertisers, nor for any claims or representations contained anywhere in this magazine. Northword reserves the right to cancel or refuse advertising at the publisher’s discretion. In no event shall unsolicited material subject this publication to any claim or fees. Northword welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Copyright in letter and other materials sent to the publisher and accepted for publication remains with the author, but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic and other forms. Please refer to northword.ca for contribution guidelines.

July/August 2017

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6 July/August 2017

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CONTENTS ISSUE NO. 69 | JULY/AUGUST 2017

9 EDITOR’S NOTE FIRSTWORDS 14 15 16 17

Bear Jam Stoned in Haida Gwaii Tiny Birds Little Bog of Horrors

39 TRAIL MAP Xsan BACKWORDS

41 Sarah de Leeuw 42 Festival Guide 43 Wild Bear Rescue 47 LASTWORD Keeping it Real

FEATURES 20 Mighty Insects Anyone who spends much time outdoors in northern landscapes knows that the tiniest of creatures can quickly transform a pleasant walk into a nightmarish experience. In this creative non-fiction piece, writer Jo Boxwell takes us on a trip into the woods where insects reign and humans run for cover.

by Jo Boxwell

23 No Toys Required Growing up in the North is different. Here, kids have easier access to the natural world than their city-dwelling counterparts. Photographer Marty Clemens offers us a glimpse into the smaller world inhabited by little people. photos by Marty Clemens

30 Small Animals, Big Personality How small can a living organism be and still have a personality? Pretty small, apparently. Paul Glover takes on the subject and shares new research being done on living creatures, great and small. photo: petr dlouhý

by Paul Glover

34 Where the Mountains Have No Name The landscapes along the famed Alaska Highway are humbling, to say the least. Here, we get a little taste of what it’s like in places like the Muskwa-Kechika and throughout the staggering Northern Rocky Mountains. photos by Taylor Burk, words by Taylor Burk & Matt Simmons

northword magazine

MAIN OFFICE | Smithers 1412 Freeland Ave. Smithers, BC, V0J 2N4 t: 250.847.4600 | w. northword.ca | e. editor@northword.ca

Publisher/Editor-in-chief matt@northword.ca 250.847.4600

Sandra Smith

National Advertising sandra@northword.ca

Amanda Follett Hosgood Contributing Editor amanda@northword.ca

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Matt J. Simmons NATIONAL SALES/AD DESIGN Sandra Smith CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Amanda Follett Hosgood ILLUSTRATORS Facundo Gastiazoro & Hans Saefkow CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Artis, Britta Boudreau, Jo Boxwell, Emily Bulmer, Taylor Burk, Marty Clemens, April Dutheil, Facundo Gastiazoro, Paul Glover, Morgan Hite, Dave Quinn DISTRIBUTORS Ainsley Brown, Frances Riley, Richard Haley, Jen Harvey ADVERTISING SALES Sandra Smith, sandra@northword.ca Matt J. Simmons, matt@northword.ca

Facundo Gastiazoro spends his days

DISTRIBUTION We distribute 10,000 copies six times a year to over 300 locations in 33 communities across northern BC, reaching close to 30,000 readers. To request copies at your retail/public location, send an email to ads@northword.ca.

Morgan Hite has lived in Smithers for 20 years, makes maps, goes hiking, gets lost, writes articles, reads things and dreams about travel.

SUBSCRIPTION To receive Northword Magazine in your mailbox, or to give it away to a friend, please complete the subscription process on our website or give us a call.

in Smithers expressing his art by painting murals, creating animations, producing videos, illustrating concepts. He loves making the big small, and the small big.

Sarah Artis is a Terrace-based writer. You can find her lugging two scruffy children around town, or on a nearby mountain trail, lecturing them about gratitude, the healing powers of nature. Find her at sarahartis.com.

Emily Bulmer is a longtime Smithereen

who enjoys subjecting herself to unscientific experiments in living. She occasionally records her findings and reports positive results most of the time.

Britta Boudreau lives in Prince George and enjoys writing, photography and travelling through northern BC. She is awed by the power of nature.

CONTRIBUTIONS We’re always happy to hear from new writers and photographers who have a unique perspective and a northern story to tell. Have a look at our submissions guidelines on our website, or send an email to editor@northword.ca and we'll send you a copy.

ONLINE Find articles past and present, photos, audio, and more at northword.ca and check us out on Facebook & Instagram.

THANKS Special thanks to Tasha Peterson and Blaine Etsby at Northern BC Tourism for helping connect us with good people doing cool stuff in the region. Thanks as well to Midsummer Music Festival for sponsoring last issue’s cover contest with two free weekend passes. And as always, thanks to the dedicated crew of volunteer proofreaders who exchange their time, expertise and company for a couple of slices of pizza and a glass of wine.

Correction: Issue No. 68’s “Still Growing” described Robin Creek Dairy in Telkwa as having “come and gone”. Robin Creek Dairy is very much still alive and well. The dairy operation in question was in fact Northern White Bulkley Valley Milk Ltd.

8 July/August 2017

i l l u s t r a t i o n : f a c u n d o g a s t i a z o ro

Matt J. Simmons

EDITOR’S NOTE

i l l u s t r a t i o n : f a c u n d o g a s t i a z o ro

The minutiae of life

make it worth living. A quick kiss. The smell of campfire lingering on a sweater.

Lichen clinging to a rock in a barren landscape.

Someone singing to themselves in the shower.

Tiny moments make up the bulk of our lives. When we’re young, some of these little moments seem endless.

When we’re older, they can vanish before we even notice them. But when we take time to appreciate the small things, our lives are enriched.

If minutiae are so meaningful (and so ubiquitous) then we ought to cherish those times when we feel on the same level. You know, like looking up at the stars and wondering just how big it is out there, and how tiny we are. Or getting out into epic landscapes. Big places have a habit of humbling you. A few years back, I sat alone on a rocky bluff, looking out on a giant landscape devoid of humans. I felt small.

Inspiration struck and I scribbled furiously in my little notebook, about feeling a tiny speck in such a big old world. Later, mosquitoes and a young grizzly bear disturbed my afternoon snooze. Both—a multitude of tiny insects and a solitary very large mammal—made me feel small yet again.

And somehow those same big places can prompt you to take notice of small things. When in the alpine, I see little wildflowers, ladybugs, gnarled patterns on dead wood, interestingly-coloured rocks. Each little thing captures my attention for a moment, and each moment is then captured in my memory. Like many, I have a selective memory. So why do these tiny things stick? And yet when I walk to the fridge I forget why I’m there. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

Small things are too often undervalued. And yet, so many small things have big impacts—on the world, in our lives. What’s that quote about the butterfly’s wings?

Take mosquitoes: responsible for more than a million human deaths every year. Or how about a hole in a sock? Pull on a pair unknowingly and find out an hour into the hike. That pesky little hole leads to another small thing with a large impact—a blister. Hobbled for days.

Viruses, bacteria, transistors and capacitors, nuclear fusion, aphids, a misplaced word—small things. And in the writing world, the smallest elements are pesky grammatical conventions, like punctuation marks and capitalization. when we take away the little things what is left meaning may still be implied and it may even be understood with work but without those tiny symbols meaning can become obscured lost even and then how do you convey complex ideas and yet of course it is possible a couple of years ago ubc phd candidate patrick stewart successfully defended his architecture dissertation a 149 page essay almost entirely devoid of punctuation marks he wrote this in his introduction in my defense my style of writing is not laziness or lack of knowledge of proper usage of the english language it is a form of grammatical resistance as a deconstructionist in the manner of many writers especially american poet ee cummings right yes the little things impact us in ways we often dont fully understand and even the absence of small things as in this case can be powerful meaningful Hoo, boy. Give me a typewriter with no punctuation marks and I’ll write you the strangest piece of literature yet.

Maybe it’s time we give credit to the little things in life. So let’s all raise a tiny glass and say a simple toast: kanpai.

— Matt J. Simmons

July/August 2017

9

Margus Riga

Southside Canoeing Babine Lake

Camping

Boer Mountain

Relax

Kager Lake Francois Lake

Fishing

Waterskiing Biking

Discover

Ootsa Lake

BURNS LAKE Tubing Decker Lake Berry Picking Rose Lake Hiking Pinkut Lake

Tweedsmuir Park Uncha Mountain

visitburnslake.ca

Margus Riga

This is our gift to each other, our fellow Canadians and the world.

V i s i t the Nass

Featuring two new temporary exhibitions: • HARVESTING NISGA’A • VOICES OF THE NISGA’A TREATY

Visit us online for exhibitions information, rentals, group bookings, hours of operation and more!

10 July/August 2017

We have stories of wonder, tragedy, and triumph to tell.

The Ancestors Collection, housed in a place of honour, is a treasury of Nisga’a Culture.

A triumph of repatriation, it is one of the preeminent collections of Nor thwest Coast indigenous ar t in the country.

WWW.NISGAAMUSEUM.CA or 250-633-3050

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

DAVE QUINN

JO BOXWELL MARTY CLEMENS

PAUL GLOVER

Dave Quinn Award-winning, Kimberley-based freelancer Dave Quinn uses boots, backpacks, kayaks, canoes, skis and a keyboard to explore the interface between modern society and wilderness. His work as a wildlife biologist, wilderness guide, teacher, and outdoor educator have opened the door on a host of colourful BC tales. In addition to Northword, his work is showcased regularly by BC Mag, Westworld, Patagonia, Kootenay and Coast Mountain Culture Magazines, and Adventure Kayak, among others.

Jo Boxwell Jo Boxwell is a freelance writer and media specialist based in Prince George. Originally from the UK, she has spent the past few years gathering stories in Ontario and British Columbia. Her favourite things include documentary film editing, proper tea, plants that tolerate (quite) a bit of neglect and discovering new places. She writes fiction and creative nonfiction, and is frequently interrupted by a squealing toddler, a ball-obsessed dog and a surprisingly destructive cat. Pieces that have made it to completion have appeared in several BC-based publications.

TAYLOR BURK

Taylor Burk Taylor Burk is an established landscape and adventure travel photographer. He creates meaningful, unique and innovative images that ignite a passion in their audience to gain a better understanding of our natural world. Through his unrelenting optimism and drive, he loves to take on challenges. From ad campaigns to magazine features, Taylor’s work has taken him across the world to diverse locations such as Jordan, Vietnam, and Iceland. Find him at taylorburk.com or on Instagram: @taylormichaelburk.

Marty Clemens Marty Clemens is a newcomer to the Bulkely Valley, but is quickly settling in and finding his northern groove. The enchanting landscape and the community that breathes life into the valley make it easy for this freelance videographer and photographer to put down some roots. When he’s not filming or slouching at his editing desk, you can find Marty on the river not catching much, working on his tennis swing, or packing for his next camping trip. Drop by his studio in Smithers, 3839 Second Ave. or find him at martyclemens.com.

Paul Glover Paul Glover is a piano technician, photographer, writer and home-grown naturalist. In his 42 years in the Northwest he has lived in a cabin at treeline, raised a family in a wilderness homestead, and explored many local mountain ranges on foot. These days he lives in the hills outside Smithers where he compulsively grows way too much food and pays rapt attention to the natural processes unfolding around us.

July/August 2017

11

bring the past to

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...that Haida Gwaii & her outlying waters are the unceded territory of the Haida?

HAIDA GWAII MUSEUM & HAIDA HERITAGE CENTRE 250.559.7885

wh e

...that a traditional Gitxsan bent box is made from only ONE piece of wood, steamed & bent to form a box?

‘KSAN HISTORICAL VILLAGE

STEWART MUSEUM

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...that the Egg Carton was invented in the Bulkley Valley? & a B-36 Bomber mysteriously disappeared in these hills.

BULKLEY VALLEY MUSEUM

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...that we are home of the World Famous Chicken Races, the Commemoration Cafe & that Admission is Free in 2017?

FORT ST. JAMES NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

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...that Terrace was home to Canada’s largest military mutiny? & first female Surgeon General in the Armed Forces?

HERITAGE PARK MUSEUM

...that our featured Copper River deposit of ammonites dates to the Jurassic Period, 150 million years ago?

KITIMAT MUSEUM & ARCHIVES

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...that you can come here & ride on the ONLY 24” gauge steam train in North America?

...that Fraser Lake is the White Swan Capital of the World (with over 170 lakes in the area)?

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THE EXPLORATION PLACE 250-562-1612

...back when trains rarely stopped, train crew stuck out their arms to “catch” notes from the stationmaster on the platform?

DUNSTER STATION MUSUEM 250-968-4410

12 July/August 2017

r.

Did you know...?

...that our entire collection was repatriated in 2011? Come & hear what the Voices of the Nisga’a Treaty sound like.

NISGA’A MUSEUM

...that you can check out our 1925 R.E.O Speedwagon & 1958 American LaFrance?

PRINCE RUPERT FIRE MUSEUM ...Masset is 56 250-624-2211 years old, but the museum is more than 100 & lives in the original hospital building of 1914?

DIXON ENTRANCE MARITIME MUSEUM

i s i to

e check out some of th derful n o w e th & d ir we as you travel through the region!

Life!

...when steel met keel, horses wore snowshoes? Come discover more Echoes from the Past!

a r e s i d en t o r a v

..

museums

r t he

are yo u

he hat 17?

L

Drive the brand new Nisga’a self-guided Auto Tour.

Nisga’a Museum — one of the finest collections of Northwest Coast aboriginal art.

Vast lava fields, lava cone & Visitor Centre exhibit.

Hlgu Isgwit, our hotsprings — water heated by nature.

Your Region for Adventure

Vetter Falls Lodge — pristine wilderness experience.

nisgaatourism.ca

Aam wil bakwsim / We Welcome You

http://economicdevelopment.rdks.bc.ca

July/August 2017

13

FIRSTWORDS

BEAR JAM

Hanna-Tintina Conservancy

— Britta Boudreau Top to bottom: a grizzly wades into the salmon-rich Hanna Creek; the spectacle of a bear killing a salmon; photographers and tourists conflict with wildlife on the highway.

14 July/August 2017

photos: left: talullah; right: april dutheil

Cassiar Highway, near Meziadin Lake. In the fall, spawning salmon turn the creek vibrant pink. This particular year, grizzlies forage and a crowd of photographers has staked out the bridge.

This isn’t a safe place to stand. For traffic from the south, the bridge is at the bottom of a hill; from the north, it’s around a bend. Safety concerns related to highway traffic and proximity to bears prompted BC Parks to initiate a management planning process for the Hanna-Tintina Conservancy, working collaboratively with the Gitanyow First Nation and the Nisga’a Lisims Government. This fall, the draft management plan should be ready for public comment and review.

Photographers travel to the area from BC, Alberta, Alaska and beyond, equipped with carbon fibre tripods and culvertsized lenses. A man with camo pants, bear spray at his hip, has been on the bridge for twelve days. I’m on a camping trip and stumble onto the scene. While the pro photographers around me jostle for position using tripods to secure spots, I set my camera to “automatic everything” and wait.

The grizzly emerges from the bush onto a path parallel to the highway, just a low cement divider away. Power ripples through each step. Nose tests the air, ears swivelling. He’s intent on reaching the water.

Photographers scramble into position. A logging truck driver careening down the hill sounds his horn in warning. The bear strides into the water where the salmon splash around him. He lunges, sinking his teeth into flesh. Grasping the fish in his mouth, he swims to a sand bar and tears into it, bones crunching. The photographers slip lens caps back on and settle in to wait for the next bear.

There is beauty in the waiting. One photographer’s wife sits in a lawn chair on the highway shoulder, reading a novel. The man in camo adjusts his tripod. A woman walks the bridge eating a handful of trail mix. Anticipation ripples through the air. The flies, drawn by salmon decaying in the heat, buzz around our heads. Songbirds dance in the underbrush.

A precarious balance exists between the salmon and the bears, the bears and the humans. Each additional person on the bridge is one step closer to tipping that balance. The bears must be left alone to forage for food to sustain them through winter.

And traffic increases. Vehicles are parked haphazardly along the highway. Parks Canada has a term for this: bear jam.

Tourists pour from cars asking when the next bear will arrive, as if this is a scheduled show. A toddler teeters along the side of the highway, mother ambling behind, while just below a grizzly bites a salmon in half and extracts eggs in a long, red strand. A couple brings their dog onto the bridge. Three bikers stop to watch, then rev their bikes, startling the bear, who disappears upstream.

Of the photos I took, my favourite is of a grizzly walking along the bank of the creek, a freshly killed salmon in its mouth.

I love what it represents: the bear in victory and the exquisitely violent balance of nature.

But the photo has a voyeuristic quality. At what cost have I obtained it? Do I, do any of us, have the right to invade this place for a picture? If there’s a confrontation between a human and a grizzly on this bridge, precedent assures us the bear will be destroyed. What’s the greater priority, a grizzly’s access to hunting and foraging, or a digital souvenir?

p h o t o s : b r i t t a b o u d re a u

A narrow bridge spans Hanna Creek on the Stewart

FIRSTWORDS

STONED IN HAIDA GWAII

photos: left: talullah; right: april dutheil

p h o t o s : b r i t t a b o u d re a u

From agates to art, Dutes Dutheil is the Rock King

Fondly known as Haida Gwaii’s Rock King, Dutes Dutheil has worked with stones for over 55 years.

Winning his first competition for stone jewellery at age 12, Dutheil went on to open the Haida Gwaii art gallery and jewellery shop, Crystal Cabin, which has become a hub for those with a passion and curiosity for stones.

Originally from Versailles, France, Dutheil made his way to Haida Gwaii in 1970, living on the west coast near Langara Island for several years.

“At the end of university, I got caught up with the politics of the late 1960s and the anti-Vietnam protests,” he says. “There was a big social movement going on amongst youth who were pushing back against mainstream society. Near the end of my degree in creative writing, my anthropology professor gave me a book by Franz Boas on northwest coast art. I really connected to the images of the art and this drew me to the West Coast, and eventually to Haida Gwaii.”

Ever since, Dutheil has called Haida Gwaii home. He spent years developing his craft of lapidary stone art and goldsmith jewellery making. “Lapidary art is the work of cutting and shaping stones, and is a lesserknown art form,” says Dutheil, whose work combines the healing properties of gemstones with the magic of local minerals, creating a product infused with the best properties of each.

Locals and visitors alike often spend time beachcombing for agates in Haida Gwaii. An agate is a microcrystalline quartz called chalcedony, known in appearance for its translucency and layers, called bands.

Haida Gwaii is one of the few places on the Canadian coastline where this sought-after stone can be found.

“Agates are part of the island culture with everyone having a story of the biggest and most beautiful agate they’ve found,” says Dutheil.

Haida Gwaii’s largest island, Graham Island, is largely comprised of volcanic basalt. The geological activity 62 million years ago created the perfect conditions for agates, which formed in the gas bubbles of volcanic lava flows. In more recent history, glaciers on Graham Island carried agate-rich gravels to the east coast, where they continue to tumble in the ocean tides.

“The story of stones is a fascinating one,” says Dutheil. “From the geological to the metaphysical meanings behind nature’s creations, each stone shares an ancient story.”

— April Dutheil You can learn more about Haida Gwaii’s geological story and the amazing agates found locally in Dutheil’s new pocket guide, Agate Collecting with Dutes: Your Guide to Finding Agates in Haida Gwaii.

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July/August 2017

15

FIRSTWORDS

The red throat of the mature male rufous hummingbird makes it easy to identify.

TINY BIRDS

smallest birds around. Though tiny, they travel vast distances from their wintering grounds in Mexico to their breeding grounds in the North—as far as southern Alaska and Yukon. Though this journey is a testament to their survival skills, in recent years hummingbird populations have dropped significantly. It is difficult to say what is contributing to the decline, because there isn’t very much information on hummingbird behaviour or migration.

To fill this data void and to better understand

OUT THE Y...

OF DINAR OR

hummingbird life history, a group of northern volunteers is contributing to a banding and research program in partnership with the Rocky Point Bird Observatory.

“Hummingbirds are extremely important when it comes to climate change, as they are a warm-blooded pollinator,” says volunteer Eric Smith. “When you’ve got a late or early spring and it is cold, insects may not want to leave their resting areas to collect food, but hummingbirds don’t care if it’s cold outside—they’re still going to feed and pollinate flowers.” In northern and coastal forests, bears and wolves depend on berries

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for food prior to the salmon runs, making hummingbirds’ pollination services important for the larger food web.

Volunteers are trained to assist with capture and data collection. There are even some jobs for younger volunteers. “It’s a good environment for kids to be involved because of the way the traps are set up,” says Smith. “If you can throw a ball, you can catch a hummingbird.” Each bird is weighed and measured, and a small identifier band is placed on its right leg so its movements can be tracked along the migration path. “We also check their body fat to get a sense of their condition, check for parasites, and record species, age and sex.”

Smith picked up the project from another volunteer who established sites in Terrace and Prince Rupert, but was unable to continue. “We are trying to train a group of key volunteers so we can establish a longterm station in Smithers with the hope that over time we can build it out,” he says. “The intent is to do more throughout the Skeena watershed in Terrace, the Khyex River, T’seax River, Prince Rupert and Atlin as well.”

Banding runs from late May to late July every year at the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter. To get involved, contact nwhummingbirds@gmail.com.

— Emily Bulmer

photos: dave quinn

Hummingbirds are the

photo: emily bulmer

Volunteers try to find out why hummingbird populations are declining

FIRSTWORDS

LITTLE BOG OF HORRORS Haida Gwaii’s carnivorous plants

photos: dave quinn

photo: emily bulmer

The mosquito buzzes like

Top: Haida Gwaii’s bogs inspire both on a grand scale, and in the miniature. Above: The deceptively pretty butterwort.

a drunken marionette above lush grass and thick moss, weaving between stunted bonsai trees in search of lifesustaining fluid. Blood is best, but the tiny insect cannot sense even a trace of the heat or carbon dioxide footprints that would lead it to that rich jackpot.

Instead it relies on the fluids of plants, sipping nectar, drop by drop, to sustain itself through the season, and, Mother Nature willing, find enough nutrition to grow and lay eggs in the standing waters of the acidic bog below.

There! Something glitters: shiny liquid on a short, reddish, roundleafed stem. Mozzie hovers closer, extending its legs for a gentle landing so it can feed.

Wham! No sooner has the wind from the mosquito’s wings tickled the plant than sticky tentacles clamp down on the tiny bug. The pesky insect struggles, but its wings are already pinned by the sticky juice, as more and more tentacles steadily close down around it. Slowly the juices eat their way through the mosquito’s exoskeleton, and begin to dissolve and

digest it from within. The hunter has become dinner, and the carnivorous plant adds the mosquito to its list of victims.

Sound like a naturalist’s horror novel set in a remote tropical swamp? Nope. This is a common summer scene in peat and pine bogs up and down the West Coast and across the boreal forest in permanently wet habitats that see direct sunlight—including the unique coastal lodgepole pine bogs of Haida Gwaii.

Round-leaved sundew, Drosera rotundifolia are, in effect, doing exactly what the mosquito was trying to do: find enough nutrients in a nutrient-poor ecosystem to not only survive, but successfully produce flowers and seeds to ensure there is a next generation of little carnivorous plants. Over three to five days, the plant’s digestive juices convert proteins in their victim’s bodies into ammonia, which supplements the plant’s nitrogen needs. This nitrogen source is critical, as many fens and bogs offer little more than an abundance of nutrientpoor peat and tannin-filled water.

If enough mosquitoes, flies, and even moths are caught and digested, the plant will produce a bouquet of pink or white flowers. These flowers will either selfpollinate, producing seeds for the next generation of sundews, or sometimes the plants’ roots begin to sprout into new sundews when they emerge near the surface of the bog.

The sundew family is one of the most diverse in the carnivorous plant world, which also includes butterworts, pitcher plants, and the well-known venus flytrap July/August 2017

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FIRSTWORDS

Strange and otherworldly, Drosera rotundifolia is wellequipped to capture its insect prey.

of Little Shop of Horrors fame. Over 190 species of sundew have been documented across the planet, on every continent except Antarctica.

The bogs of Haida Gwaii are also home to another carnivorous plant, the common butterwort. Butterworts are tiny, deceitfully pretty, purple-flowered plants whose sticky leaves curl around their prey, digesting small insects in a manner similar to the sundew.

Haida Gwaii’s bogs are a naturalist’s paradise.

Among some of the wettest ecosystems on the planet that support some of the largest trees anywhere in a rainforest-dominated landscape, these open, watery ecosystems stand out. Everything from nesting sandhill cranes and Pacific tree frogs to deep layers of rotting sphagnum, stunted lodgepole pine trees, and even carnivorous plants like the round-leafed sundew and common butterwort can be found in these bogs, making for an amazing and inspiring ecosystem.

Unless, of course, you are a mosquito.

— Dave Quinn

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i l l u s t r a t i o n : f a c u n d o g a s t i a z o ro

Mighty insects

by Jo Boxwell

i l l u s t r a t i o n : f a c u n d o g a s t i a z o ro

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utting between the trees, living and dead, on a single track rumpled by roots and the effects of erosion. I’ve walked this trail many times in different seasons, and in the summer the forest is alive with creatures, only a few of which I ever actually see. A raven caws from a high branch, and warm light reaches down to the plants that cling to the shady slopes, but there is a lot of decay here, too. Beetle kill, mostly. Sawn-off trunks reveal the markings of the culprit that has ravaged this forest.

It is not the mountain pine beetle itself that creates the strangely beautiful blue rings that permeate the dead wood, but a fungus that is transported in the beetle’s mouthparts. The fungus helps to break down the tree’s defenses so the pair can feast and nest. Their deadly symbiotic relationship can be devastating when milder winters fail to disrupt their progress. The outbreak that hit British Columbia between 1999 and 2015 still leaves its scars. More than a billion dollars of provincial and federal money have gone into tackling the bugs since 2001, and yet they continue to march eastwards into new territory. The pine beetle and their bark beetle cousins, the spruce beetle (responsible for the current outbreak in the Omineca region) have left experts scrambling in their efforts to contain them.

Other insect infestations may not be quite as destructive, but they are still baff ling and irritating for many of us humans. Forest tent caterpillars prefer deciduous trees, and thankfully this is not an outbreak year for the larvae. I find no evidence of them on this trail, but seeing them for the first time a few years ago was certainly memorable.

Before I moved to northern BC, the most outrageous story I’d heard about a caterpillar was a particularly hungry one that ate its way through the pages of a children’s book. Then I met the forest tent caterpillar, and discovered that it was not a solitary creature. I first encountered masses of black, furry bodies down by the Fraser River, suspended amongst the cottonwoods in their silken

web-like nests. They made their way across the city, navigating sidewalks and sidings, fences and decks, congregating densely in some areas and spreading out across others as they demolished the vegetation in their wake. They did not observe our careful separation of manmade space and nature, but went wherever they pleased.

I had a pet caterpillar once, when I was about five or six. My mum left the lid off its tank as she took it outside to gather some greenery, and a bird f lew off with it. There aren’t enough birds to tackle a tent caterpillar outbreak, and surprisingly, no one wants them as pets. Suggested removal techniques include pulling the caterpillars’ nests from the trees and dropping them in soapy water (a method for someone braver than me), using chemical sprays and applying sticky sleeves or grease to trunks. These tricks might upset a few caterpillars, but their infestations end only when they complete their transition into moths.

The trail ahead of me slopes downwards, but it is not a linear route; it curls around the hill as it dips down and rears up again before continuing its descent.

In the dusk of a long summer evening, coyotes chatter in the forest below, but those are not the creatures that concern me. As the forest gets denser and cooler, the air becomes thicker. Swarms of mosquitoes f ly at my face and land on my clothes and exposed skin. They squeal in my ears and only cease when crushed, but I cannot catch that many. I make a poor effort of it anyway; I hate killing things. My f lailing only delays the inevitable. Large red bites rise up on my pale skin, left by the females of the species as they acquire blood to make babies. I have been let down once again by “deep woods,” or “jungle formula” or whatever the marketers promised me on their DEET-laced repellent. I am one of those unfortunate people that mosquitoes seem to like, perhaps because they prefer my blood type, or because I have attractive sweat or skin bacteria.

I’m not going to think about that too much.

Mosquito is a Spanish word, meaning “little f ly”; a description that seems July/August 2017

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woefully inadequate for the world’s deadliest animal to humans. As f lies go, they aren’t even exceptionally small; small enough, though, that we should be able to manage them by now, shouldn’t we? We do try. Many communities have programs targeting “nuisance” mosquitoes—the type that bother us in public spaces. A common control method is the use of larvicide at known breeding grounds, but there are numerous other options available for attempting to limit their numbers.

Last year, the District of Taylor trialed an environmentally friendly garlic spray to get rid of the larvae and deter adults.

In parts of the world where mosquitoes are a major public health problem, there has been some discussion around the possibility of eradicating the disease-carrying mosquito species (only a few types of mosquito can transmit diseases to humans), though the science of achieving that is a long way behind the desire. Mosquitoes elicit little sympathy, and some would argue for the eradication of the insect altogether. I have held a personal grudge against them ever since I got a particularly nasty bite during a childhood holiday (waking up unable to open my eye and a subsequent visit to the doctor are the only things I remember about those two weeks in Turkey). Yet there is one claim that had made me reconsider the little f ly’s value. Some say that it is thanks to the tiny but mighty mosquito that our own deadly species hasn’t done even more damage to the rainforests where they dwell in unbearably large numbers.

I cut my hike short. I can’t stand it down here, where the mosquitoes are at their thickest. One

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mosquito is annoying, but hundreds of them disrupt any sense of peace the forest brings. I pick up my pace to escape them, even though the incline forces me to breathe more heavily, which, incidentally, also attracts mosquitoes (carbon dioxide, higher body temperatures and the various acids released in sweat are among their favourite things).

I step off the multi-use trail and onto the rough slope beside it as a family of mountain bikers bump across the dirt track. Tiny ants work the sandy soil beneath me, undeterred by my presence or theirs.

The workers race so deftly over old pinecones, crushed leaves and twigs that they almost make the bikers atop their powerful metal frames look clumsy. Ants are ever-present here, but they haven’t dominated this landscape the way they do in some places. At a mixed woodland area nearby, ants have built mini mountains of soil and mulch that writhe with their comings and goings.

Ants are so successful, researchers believe, because of their social structure, something we humans value very highly, and from an objective standpoint there is much to admire about the humble ant. The earth’s most numerous insect is extremely inf luential to the environment it manages. Their burrowing helps to turn and aerate the soil, they prey on little bugs and are an important food source.

As useful as ants are to our environment, sometimes a little intervention is desirable. Biting ants, I think most of us can agree, are an evolutionary step too far, as well as any that try to creep into our homes. We once rented a small property in Costa

Rica where the previous guests had thoughtfully left food behind. We arrived at much the same time the ants did. Long lines of them marched up the exterior walls looking for a way in. They found a gap under the kitchen window, and within minutes they had filled the sink. Their luck ran out when the property manager arrived, armed with some deadly chemical spray that probably wasn’t great for us either.

Attempting to displace ants can be a frustrating experience as they have a tendency to pop up again in another spot (or several other spots) nearby.

Nonetheless, we humans are nothing if not determined when it comes to crushing small things we dislike, and recommendations here vary enormously, from off-the-shelf chemical solutions to putting coffee grounds around areas they should avoid, keeping chickens, or adding a generous sprinkling of cornf lakes or diatomaceous earth to their hills.

As I complete my climb back up the forest trail, heading towards the parking lot and the suburbs beyond it, I hear a couple of dirt bikes making their way up the break in the trees where the powerlines run. I’m re-entering the land we’ve declared ourselves the absolute rulers of, intolerant as we are of insects and weeds and the wrong type of grass. Still, there are people in those houses who are still struggling to swat away the biting bugs as they fire up their barbeques, or battling the ants nestling into their vegetable gardens.

Those mighty insects know a thing or two about resistance. We haven’t conquered everything yet.

no toys required photos by Marty Clemens

I

can remember spending several eternities, lying on my stomach on a pebbled beach, obsessively organizing rocks into sizes, shapes and colours. I don’t remember why. Chances are I didn’t have a reason—and I didn’t need one.

Digging down into the cold sand below. A little seepage of water. Bored, but absorbed.

Or, climbing “The Tree” down at the ball field. Friends on other branches, grubby hands and runny nose. The stickiness of sap between my thumb and forefinger.

Then I grew up, and now I have my own little people. There are few things that impact a person’s life as intensely as having a child. Children challenge us to think about the future—it belongs to them, after all—and at the same time they remind us how to live in the present. They may be little humans, but kids can change your whole perspective on the world, and on life itself. Small becomes big.

Here in northern BC, kids can have a childhood that their counterparts growing up in urban centres struggle daily to find. Simple things, like time outside, room

to run, space to explore, pebbles to count. Back in 2014, the big news story told us that more than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas. Countless concerned articles have been written since on the subject of youth needing to get outdoors more. Northern kids are pretty lucky.

Photographer Marty Clemens was tasked with trying to capture something of the essence of children growing up in a free and natural way. So he went and hung out with a bunch of kids on their turf. “What these small humans lack in size,” he says, “they make up for with their big imaginations and strong sense of independence that seems to be fostered by their natural environment.”

His photo essay is just a little glimpse into the lives of a handful of kids. As he says, this crew lives a life where there are “no toys required.”

— Matt J. Simmons July/August 2017

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NO WORDS

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small animals

big personality

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p h o t o : d r. l a r s c h i t t k a

by Paul Glover

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p h o t o : d r. l a r s c h i t t k a

How small can an animal be and still have a personality? Prompted by our northern fauna and his curiosity, Paul Glover investigates current research into animal behaviour.

s I’m digging in the garden I notice a robin nearby that appears to be watching what I’m doing—I think it knows that worms and grubs are being turned up.

Robins are plentiful here, but this one seems less afraid than the others, and is even bold enough to land close to me and find a few worms before taking off to feed its young.

The fact that this particular robin seems less cautious than others gets me thinking.

Do different robins behave differently? Could they have personalities? Do all birds have personalities? How about other animals? We have a couple cats, and there’s no question that they have personalities. But what about mice? Fish? And bugs!?

It turns out that I’m not the first person to have pondered the question of how small, or simple, an organism can be and still have what we could call a personality. It was not until the past few decades though that there has been much research on the subject. But there have recently been numerous studies conducted on a wide variety of species—everything from the very large and complex (like horses, cows and gorillas) all the way to very simple and tiny microbes.

p h o t o : d r. l a r s c h i t t k a

p h o t o : d r. l a r s c h i t t k a

Even in the realms of the nearly invisible we find signs of personality and selfdetermination.

Do animals have personalities?

The Oxford dictionary defines personality as “the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.” The key word here is individual: individuals within the same species must have different behaviours from each other for that behaviour to count as personality.

Sceptics question the idea that animals have individual personalities, saying that people tend to anthropomorphize, or attribute human-like traits, emotions and motivations onto the animal behaviours that we observe. Pet owners, however, and others who work with animals, will vehemently defend that their animals have real and distinct personalities.

Behavioural ecologist Dr. Karen Price has no doubt

that animals do have personalities. While studying tree squirrels in the Yukon, she had an opportunity to observe squirrel personalities while raising a litter of orphaned juveniles.

One young squirrel was so shy it spent most of its time curled up in the researchers’ pockets or sleeves.

Its more active sister was obsessed with gathering interesting-shaped pieces of wood and other objects that it then hid in a tree, which it also seemed to enjoy decorating with shreds of toilet paper. But most active of all was a male who seemed to be a thrill-seeker, taking any opportunity to slide down steep surfaces like the researchers’ tents. It seemed clear to Dr. Price that these differences among the individual squirrels

amounted to what we would call personality.

In a study of spotted hyenas in 1998, Dr. Sam Gosling and his team identified 44 hyena personality traits including greed, jealousy, excitability, laziness, moodiness, irritability, confidence, impulsiveness and playfulness. These were observed as the hyenas went about their normal business, without setting up any artificial situations for them to react to. The study concluded that hyenas, at least, have personalities that vary from individual to individual, and suggests that research on other species would produce similar results.

Indeed, there are now many studies on common, large animals like pigs, cows, horses, elephants and wolves that indicate individual personalities.

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Bold versus Shy How do you tell if a shrew has a personality? Or a fish, a bat, a newt? Or a Southern dumpling squid, for that matter?

Since many of the tests used to assess human personality don’t work on animals, other methods have been developed. It gets harder to observe and measure personality as we move into smaller and simpler organisms, but the number of species that has been studied is surprising.

Much research has focused on whether an animal is adventurous (bold) or cautious (shy). The set-up goes something like this: put a few of the subject organisms in a new space, then wait to see which ones venture out first to explore and which ones hang back in a safe place. The procedure is repeated several times with the same group.

The results: it turns out that there are bold individuals and shy ones.

While boldness-versus-shyness seems to be one of the easier characteristics to test for, it is also an important personality difference for the long-term survival of a species. For instance, bold or inquisitive shrews—the first ones to leave their safe enclosure to explore a new space—may hunt and forage more successfully than shy or cautious individuals. But if there are predators around, it’s the bolder ones who are more likely to be eaten while the cautious ones survive.

Personality traits have been studied in more than a dozen species of fish, including trout and three-spined sticklebacks. Many of these have focused on or included the bold-shy tests. In an interesting twist, a 1970s catch-and-release study of largemouth bass looked at how many times individual fish were caught over a five-year period.

While some were never caught, others were caught repeatedly; one fish was caught 12 times in one year, and another 15 times! The purpose of the study was to see if fish would learn to avoid hooks after being caught once or twice, but the results suggest that there are personality factors driving catchability instead. Interestingly, these easier-to-catch bass also turn out to be better and more energetic parents.

Brook trout show a variation on bold versus shy, with some being “movers” and others “stayers.” The movers are more active and exploratory in their stream environment, swimming and feeding in faster water and closer to the surface. Stayers keep to slower, deeper, and more protected water. Besides their diets differing according to which part of the stream they’re feeding in, the fish also develop different body types: stayers are plumper and larger-finned; movers are sleeker and have smaller fins. Same species; different personalities.

Thrill seekers large and small The “thrill-seeking” (also called novelty-seeking) behaviour observed by Dr. Price has been observed in other species. Playfulness, related to novelty-seeking, is found in a number of species including dogs, cats, dolphins and primates, but more surprisingly also in pigs, birds, fish, reptiles and octopuses.

It turns out that recent studies on bees have not only shown personality differences among individuals, but that some bees exhibit thrill-seeking behaviour too. These bees are more adventuresome, taking risks to explore new territory in search of food sources or new nest sites. That may not sound particularly thrilling, but besides big differences in the brains of these bees compared to most others in the colony, there were also clear similarities in brain pathways between the adventurous bees and the brains of “novelty-seeking” humans.

What about other insects? Studies of field crickets, fruit flies, European firebugs and American cockroaches, among others, demonstrated a variety of individual personality traits. Besides the usual bold or shy behaviours, it’s been found that some individuals may have curious or explorative personalities. Others may be more ready to defend than retreat—they’re braver or perhaps just foolhardy. Individuals can be more or less active, adaptable, or aggressive. Nervousness has been studied in ants, and gregariousness in butterflies.

Studies have been conducted to determine whether spiders have personalities, too.

Predictably, by now, the answer is yes. One experiment tested bronze jumping spiders’ reactions to their mirror image: some attacked their own reflection while others crept cautiously away.

A radar transponder attached to a bumblebee tracks its long-distance movements in a bee personality study. The data revealed where the bees flew and how their behaviour changed with experience.

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p h o t o : d r. l a r s c h i t t k a

Although a wide variety of personality traits have been studied in animals, some are more difficult to measure than others. As Dr. Gosling says, “Assessing traits like extroversion are easier than those like agreeableness.”

p h o t o : d r. l a r s c h i t t k a

Into the realm of the microscopic Surprisingly, microscopic roundworms have been shown to have free will. A 2015 study gave them a choice of going toward a delicious scent or turning away. Usually the worm took the bait—but not always. And in repeat tests, the same worm did not always make the same choice. It seemed to depend on what the worm was “thinking” at the time—which may be a bit of a stretch to say, since these worms have just 302 neurons compared to our brain’s 86 billion. But it indicates more complexity than we would have expected, and more self-determination than we’d previously imagined possible from such a simple organism.

OK—now let’s get into the really tiny animals: germs! Could they possibly have personalities?

The field of microbial research is vast and rapidly evolving. Microbiologist Anne Madden at North Carolina State University studies microbial communities and uses this knowledge in various applications, including the production of better-tasting beer. While cautioning that, at the level of microorganisms, the lines between individuals, clones and strains become somewhat fuzzy, she points to several examples where microbes show differences that could be seen as personalities.

For instance, there are “strong” personalities. When some species of Actinoplanes and Streptomyces are left overnight in a petri dish, some cells will produce antibiotics while others don’t. In some cases, cells from one parent strain will produce one kind of antibiotic, while others from the same strain produce a different antibiotic. This behaviour, which differs from cell to cell, amounts to the ability of one cell to kill cells of another species.

“Resilient personalities” occur in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, microbes that are dangerous to people with cystic fibrosis. These cells form a layer called a biofilm and are particularly troubling because antibiotics don’t penetrate them well. When a biofilm is hit with antibiotics, many cells are destroyed but some genetically identical cells manage to survive. The mechanism behind this is not clear, but it’s possible that these “persister” cells “sleep through” the antibiotic treatment.

In another example, a species of slime mould, whose long Latin name has been shortened to “Dicty” by those who work with it, exhibits “altruistic” personality

traits in some of its cells. Although these cells are otherwise identical, some sacrifice themselves for the greater good while helping other cells move on to find more plentiful sustenance. However, if two genetically different strains of “Dicty” are put together, the otherwise “altruistic” cells will tend to only sacrifice themselves for the good of their own strain.

Researcher Kevin Foster studies microbes with “cooperative personalities,” and has identified “cooperation genes” in microbes. He can create a strain that gets along well with others, and another that does not. This research is useful in learning how microbes recognize each other, and how altruism, like that manifested by the cells of “Dicty,” develops.

Other personality-like traits have been found in microorganisms, including a “stressed personality” where different strains of, say, E. coli, respond differently to stress. And all this is likely just the tip of the iceberg. “We are just at the beginning of understanding what might be called personality in microorganisms, and what implications this has for medical and other applications,” says Dr. Madden.

Back in the garden From bees who show signs of pessimism and agitation, to lizards who have individual preferences for their body temperature, to an introverted octopus that stays in its den and attempts to hide by changing colour, we find a spectrum of personality types in organisms of all sizes and shapes. The exploration of this science has really just begun.

Even in the realms of the nearly invisible we find signs of personality and selfdetermination where we never thought it existed. As Dr. Madden says, “Only in studying these differences among individuals can we learn about the universal mechanisms behind them. This has far-reaching implications, from developing animal conservation plans to effective antibiotic therapies.”

Back in the garden, I watch the birds with a new awareness. It’s exciting to realize that so many of the creatures in our world are being recognized as having personalities. This is a new dimension in my awareness of the world around me, and I find it comforting as well as fascinating.

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WHERE THE MOUNTAINS HAVE NO NAME

As the Alaska Highway celebrates its 75th anniversary, we look at some of the most expansive landscapes in northern BC. Photographer Taylor Burk shares his photos and story from the Muskwa-Kechika, and writer Matt Simmons remembers feeling small in the Northern Rocky Mountains. photos by Taylor Burk words by Taylor Burk & Matt Simmons

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stand on the summit of a mountain, its name unmarked on maps, an endless panorama of mountains and valleys surrounding me. I’m alone. There’s enough wind to keep the bugs at bay and I literally laugh out loud, spinning around and drinking in the view. I feel a bit tipsy almost, as if my eyes are being injected with 100-proof alcohol. This is a very big place.

Up along the Alaska Highway are some seriously crazy landscapes: Muncho Lake, Stone Mountain, Liard River. The Northern Rocky Mountains. Think of them as Banff ’s quirky northern cousins—without all the people. It’s a rugged place, in the best sense of the word. The highway threads its way through all these landscapes, eventually leading to the Yukon and on to Alaska.

Built by the US during World War II, the idea behind the road was to connect the contiguous states in the south with its lonely northern outlier. The Americans had military motivations for construction but part of Canada’s agreement was based on the idea that a road in that region would eventually be a boon to economic development, including tourism. Pretty forward thinking.

Here we are, 75 years later, and tourism along the Alaska Highway is thriving. For some who make the trek, it’s the road trip of a lifetime. One more crossed off the bucket list. They come in the summer and take their memories home. There aren’t a lot of people who live in the towns along the route, but a significant segment of those who do, relies on tourism dollars.

The dollars, and the folks spending those dollars, keep coming but it’s still pretty easy to feel alone up here. To have space. To feel small in a big, wild place.

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It’s even easier if you leave the road behind and get out into the landscape. The Muskwa-Kechika is a spot not many people get to visit. I’ve never been. I hope to someday.

Lucky for you, Taylor Burk, Vancouver-based photographer and adventurer, has... ~

Wayne Sawchuk is an author, photographer, conservationist, cowboy, wilderness guide, outfitter, and professional badass.

“What’s the name of that mountain?” I ask Wayne Sawchuk, pointing to a prominent peak in the distance.

“It doesn’t have a name. None of them do.”

These mountains may have had names once, but modern maps show only their topography—tight contour lines climbing steeply out of valleys.

Approximately the size of Ireland and deemed the Serengeti of the North, the Muskwa-Kechika (M-K) is one the largest and most biodiverse areas in the entire rocky mountain range, yet only a select few have heard of it.

The reason for its elusiveness lies in the rugged landscapes, harsh climate, and a unique management system allowing humans to live harmoniously with its wilderness.

Mayfield Lakes Camp is owned and operated by the legendary Wayne Sawchuk. Sawchuk is an author, photographer, conservationist, cowboy, wilderness guide, outfitter, and professional badass. He is arguably as much an integral part of the M-K as the M-K is a part of him. Like a statue, he sits atop his steed with a stoic gaze, axe in sheath, sporting an impenetrable moustache and wide-brimmed hat.

As a founding appointee and board member of both BC’s Muskwa-Kechika Advisory Board and Committee of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, Sawchuk has invested his time and energy, and his heart and soul into keeping the M-K pristine and wild.

We ride our horses up the face of another mountain, stopping to snack on the abundant wild cranberries and blueberries, staining our fingers like kids. We see bear and caribou tracks, but none of the animals that left them. My time here is short, but on longer expeditions, it’s very common to see grizzly and black bears, moose, elk, caribou, lynx, wolves, and mountain goats. The dynamic between humans and wildlife is different in the M-K than most wilderness areas.

There aren’t many places in the world where one can travel by foot or horseback for months at a time and not see any other signs of human activity. You can here. The M-K isn’t fragmented by roads, powerlines, or other forms of infrastructure. With humans so hard to come by, wildlife here tends to be more curious and frightened and has not grown accustomed to seeking out our food.

The open, wild landscape allows for a near-aerial view of how far the horses took us in just a few hours. It’s that sense of scale that gives places like this their legendary status.

On our way back down the pass, a massive storm engulfs the valley and rolls towards us. All visibility disappears and we watch helplessly as we’re swallowed into the storm and soaked by rain. It feels like a different time period. I’m on horseback, hunkered down under the downpour, following Sawchuk’s wide-brimmed hat in the distance.

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When I lie on my back and close my eyes, I can feel like I’m there again. That expansive emptiness that isn’t actually empty. The rocks and lichen under my back.

The wind on my face. The ladybugs clustering on the warm rocks. The sensation of an endless landscape of mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes out there, waiting.

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For more info about our Fishing and Scenic Tours and about Prince Rupert call Captain John » 250-552-7362 www.GreenIslandCoastalCharters.com

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TRAIL MAP

Xsan

Small Trail To A Big Place words & map by Morgan Hite

photo: taylor burk

The original name of the Skeena River is often given as Xsan. Neil Sterritt,

however, in his recent history of the Gitxsan people, Mapping My Way Home, tells us that the proper name of the river is Xsi’yeen; the name Xsan instead refers to a specific canyon on the river.

The five kilometre-long stretch of this canyon, upriver from the village of Kispiox, runs north-south. It had a traditional fishery that was crucial to the village.

Sterritt quotes Niist/Charles Sampson (1888-1963) as saying “there were so many smokehouses in the canyon that the sun was red from smoke during fishing season.”

Xsan is a beautiful and peaceful place. It’s important when visiting to remember that not only are there many traditional fishing sites here owned by specific houses, but also that much of the shore is designated reserve land. Be respectful.

To walk into Xsan, begin at the village of Kispiox, at the Kispiox river bridge.

Drive 5.5 km north on Kispiox Valley Road and turn right on Swan Lake Road.

Continue another 3.8 km until you pass Stokes Rd. on the right. A further km on, you will find an old grassy track leading up on the right, just after a tight curve to the left. Park in the grassy track (which began life as a logging road in the 1970s) but don’t block it. Dogs must be leashed on the first kilometer of the trail, as you will be passing through private land.

Follow the old track past a gate, through some woods and across a field. (The path you want continues straight across the field: do not turn right or left.) In a mixed

stand of cedar, birch, aspen and hemlock the route winds its way gently uphill, passes through a broad saddle, and begins to descend. About 30 minutes in, and shortly after this descent begins, turn right off the old road onto a trail. Here there is a sign that says “To The Skeena.”

The trail now winds its way downhill, gently at first and then more steeply, until you are in solid cedar forest. You dead-end at another trail, and take a sharp left. (If you have time, explore to the right as well.) You are now on what I can only assume is the historical trail that ran along this side of the Skeena, winding through the forest above the canyon cliffs, periodic side trails leading down to the water. Follow this trail north for about 20 minutes, during which you may note, on either side, old pits.

These may have been cache pits, where dried salmon would have been stored until it could be transported elsewhere.

A clear side trail leads down to a rocky beach, directly across from the mouth of Xsugwa’mahlit (Sidina Creek). Allow about an hour to get here, and an hour to return.

This is a fascinating stretch of river, where rocky fingers reach out into the current, creating immense eddies. Black moss and driftwood indicate the height of spring flood. In maps prepared as evidence for the Delgamukw case, there are no fewer than eight house-specific fishing sites along the short straight stretch of the canyon you see in front of you. Across the river and high above, you can see the rocky crest of Gwin Wijix (Caribou, or Sidina, Mountain). It is a good place to feel small.

July/August 2017

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40 July/August 2017

BackWords

books sarah de leeuw Where it Hurts, NeWest Press, 2017

When Sarah de Leeuw signed my copy of her latest book, she wished me good reading and commented that she hoped I wouldn’t find her book “too much of a downer”.

Her very personal essays explore difficult topics: a childhood friend’s drowning, women murdered and missing, racism and loss.

With no time for wallowing, however, she moves us through these uneasy landscapes shining a light on the shadows and staring them down until we see our own humanity in between coffee cups, movie theatres and gravel backroads.

Her prose is rhythmic and poetic, and her essays have a dream-like quality, scenes and ideas shifting and melding into each other—at

once detailed and impressionistic. I look at this collection as a kind of guide book, something like “11 new routes you’ve never stopped to explore,” where the reader can use the book as a touchstone to understand their own experiences of living and witnessing difficult truths. Also like a book of hikes, these essays are best enjoyed with space in between.

Brew a coffee. Sit by the window. Put on some sturdy shoes and know that “Where it Hurts” is also where it heals.

— Emily Bulmer

July/August 2017

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BACKWORDS

music summer festivals Across northern BC, July and August It’s that time of year again. Time for dancing, lounging, camping, hanging out with friends and family, and, best of all, listening to live music. Festival season in the North is always fun.

A few of the “bigger” names coming from afar this summer include Joel Plaskett, Rae Spoon, Humans, Midsummer June 30 – July 2 Smithers smithersmusicfest.com

The Zolas, Rose Cousins, and many more. Plus, of course, this region is home to innumerable amazing, talented musicians of all types.

Below is a quick list so you can plot out your summer travels. Have fun, stay safe, and don’t forget the sunscreen.

Atlin July 7 – 9 Atlin

Intertidal July 15 Port Edward

Kispiox Valley July 28 – 30 Kispiox Valley

Grizfest August 4 – 6 Tumbler Ridge

atlinfestival.ca

northpacifccannery.ca

kvmf.ca

grizfest.com

Edge of the World August 11 – 13 Tlell, Haida Gwaii

Robson Valley August 11 – 13 Dunster

MoM August 18 – 20 Fort St. James

artswells.com

edgefestival.ca

robsonvalleymusicfestivalbc.com

momfest.weebly.com

drop your bags and go get some fresh air...

© 2016 KIOTI Tractor Company a Division of Daedong-USA, Inc.

Arts-Wells August 4 – 7 Wells

Kick your lawn’s grass.

1515 Main St. Smithers 250.847.2208

Centrally located on Smithers’ Main Street, the Fireweed Motor Inn is the place to stay! We‘re walking distance to the town’s best restaurants. Or book a kitchenette and fill the fridge with groceries from one of Smithers’ grocery stores, literally across the street.

Free wireless internet & pet-friendly rooms available.

NEW Coin Laundry on-site for customers.

stay@fireweedmotel.com • www.fireweedmotel.com 42 July/August 2017

With the KIOTI® CK2510, you can get a big, tough 60” drive-over mower deck. Easy to put on so you can tame that lawn of yours. Easy to take off so you can do other work. We have a whole range of tractors to choose from. Let’s find the perfect one for you.

DEALER INFO AREA

Kioti.com

BACKWORDS

tv wild bears Wild Bear Rescue, Omnifilm/Animal Planet, June 23 - Sept. 8 2017 The Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter (NLWS) is a family- and volunteer-run operation. Perched on a hill in the Driftwood area outside Smithers, NLWS provides a temporary home every year to a variety of animals, including bears, moose, birds, and more.

Angelika and Peter Langen, former zookeepers, started the non-profit society in the late 1980s to rescue wild animals orphaned or injured, after realizing there was no other wildlife shelter in northern BC. NLWS has since grown to become an internationally-recognized rehabilitation facility. And yet, they receive no government funding, instead relying on donations from the public, sponsorships and partnerships with

local organizations, and project-specific grant-funding.

Recently, their work caught the attention of TV channel, Animal Planet. Last year, in partnership with Omnifilm, NLWS became the focus of a 12-part series called “Wild Bear Rescue”. Filmmakers followed the day-to-day lives of the Langen family and volunteers as they struggled through a record year—2016 saw the shelter take in 40 orphaned black bear cubs.

The series premieres on June 23 and runs weekly throughout the summer.

To find out more about NLWS or to make a donation, head over to wildlifeshelter.com.

— Matt J. Simmons

Bean North celebrates 20 years of roasting organic & 100% fair trade coffee!!

IntegrIty

Professionalism

Q ua l i t y

for

Working

Community SuCCeSS.

L O C AT E D I N S M I T H E R S & S E R V I N G T H E R E G I O N • 2 5 0 . 8 4 7 . 4 3 2 5 • W W W. E D M I S O N M E H R . C A

order at beannorth.com or purchase our coffee at any of these fine northwestern BC retailers Down to Earth Health Shop - Fort Nelson Purple Bicycle Natural Foods - Mackenzie Northern Dreams - Muncho Lake Green Zone Grocer - Burns Lake Mountain Eagle Books & Café - Smithers Sidewalkers - Terrace Last Minute Market - Prince Rupert Island Meat & Sausage - Haida Gwaii Nomad’s Kitchen - festival vendor

www.beannorth.com - 867.667.4145 July/August 2017

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MARKETPLACE

Two Sisters Cafe Food for life

Eat in, or try our “Meals-Two-Go”! Lentil enchiladas, vegan shepherd’s pie, quinoa veggie burgers, and more!

Plus...popsicles and other delicious treats!

3763 4th Avenue, Smithers 250-877-7708 twosisterscafe.ca

Oona River

Gemma’s Gifts & Souvenirs

Largest selection of quality gifts & souvenirs in the northwest CANADIAN SOUVENIRS » Native Art . Moccasins . Handcrafted Canadian Jade Jewellery KERMODE BEAR » Mugs . Keychains . Pins . T-shirts . Artwork OPEN 7 days a week! Fridays til 9pm & Sundays 11-5pm 4627 Lakelse Ave. Terrace (across from Xanders coffee shop) 1-800-563-4362 or 250-635-4086 more info: facebook.com/gemmasboutique and loveterrace.com

Relaxing retreat on Porcher Island Originally settled in 1905, Oona River is located south of Prince Rupert on the eastern side of Porcher Island. Oona offers visitors a relaxing retreat in a unique North Coast setting. Modern and comfortable one-bedroom suite for rent by the week or month. oonariver.net come2oona@gmail.com

Websites by Emily Hashemi

Affordable & modern website design

New sites & re-designs welcome. We can help with SEO and social media strategy and provide ongoing support & maintenance.

Before

emilyhashemi.com

After

Harris & Wick Goldsmiths

Wood Wizards

Custom designed jewellery and repairs

Making weathered wood look good Using high performance, environmentallyfriendly cleaners & wood oils, we stain all wood exteriors—log homes, post & beam, siding, decks & railings. Rotten log replacement & structural repairs. 20+ years of experience. Servicing all of northern BC.

We work with our customers to create hand-crafted, unique jewellery of the finest quality, and also offer in-shop repairs unparalleled in the Northwest.

250.627.7000 hwgold@citywest.ca

Roger Jaques 250.846.5944 rogeryogini@gmail.com

Find us on Facebook and Instagram

Repairs, Rentals, and Sales of Violins, Brass/Woodwind instruments and accessories. We focus on providing a personal, high-quality service that supports the vibrant music community of Northern BC. Contact us for all your musical needs. horncraft.ca | 250.847.0318 3877 13th Avenue, Smithers BC

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MARKETPLACE

Little House Antiques / Antiques, Artisans & Oddities Two downtown TERRACE locations:

George Little House — VIA Rail Station

First Nation Fine Art, Jewelry & Maps 3100 Kalum St. | 250.638.8887

Antiques, Artisans & Oddities

Antiques, Fine Art, Jewelry, Pottery, Vintage Toys, Country Chic Paints, & Stencils.

4626 Park Ave. | 250.631.9116 Find us on loveterrace.com & Facebook

Community Futures Nadina

Growing communities–one idea at a time Serving Burns Lake, Granisle, Houston, Smithers, Telkwa, Topley and area. Office open by appointment in Smithers now at 3876 Broadway Ave. 250.845.2522 cfnadina.ca find us on facebook at CF Nadina

Roadhouse Smithers

Comfort food, well travelled Upscale casual restaurant serving internationally inspired comfort food, with a smile. Check out our delicious share plates and tapas-style small plates. Serving lunch & dinner 7 days a week, and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Opening mid-July.

3711 Alfred Ave., Smithers Check roadhouse-smithers.com for opening date & hours.

Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Happy Pig Organic Farm

Vet to Pet Mobile Service Mobile veterinary services

Fresh-baked goods daily

Certified Organic pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, eggs and beef based in Telkwa.

Farm gate and BV Farmers Market sales, as well as weekly deliveries between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Contact us for details.

Located at Par 3 in Smithers or Red Apple in Hazelton. Call or email to find out more.

No fat, no sugar, no dairy, no preservatives: just good bread! Organic grain milled daily.

778.210.1883 vettopetinfo@gmail.com vettopetmobile.ca

Tues. to Sat. 10am-6pm 4630 Park Ave., Terrace (across from Dairy Queen) 250.615.0419 . 1.877.775.3535

Organic meats, fruit & veggies

250.846.5989 . happypigorganicfarm.com happypigorganicfarm@gmail.com

Baker Extraordinaire

July/August 2017

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46 July/August 2017

Last Word

The first counsellor told me to come back when I had a single problem to focus

on. Lots of students need the college’s free services, she said, subtly suggesting others needed it more.

A few years later, I tried again. “Severely depressed,” said the quiz results. The counsellor told me to come back only when I was on medication. No guidance, no sympathy.

A good friend recognized the signs and convinced me to go to my doctor. I started antidepressants and for the first time in my life felt normal.

But man, those pills made me tired. So after a couple years, I tried different ones.

My doctor switched me cold turkey, no weaning. Turns out transitioning off some pills is worse than going on them. Dry mouth. Constipation. Insomnia. Extreme fatigue. Severe f****ng rage. (Irritable is the scientific word). And brain zaps.

Brain zaps are tiny electric shocks that randomly zap your brain throughout the day. They don’t hurt but they definitely don’t feel normal.

A week off my meds, my friends danced joyfully in front of the stage at the Kispiox Music Festival while I cried uncontrollably in the foetal position under a tree by the river. “Just” an anxiety attack, but at the time, I thought I was losing my mind.

The intensity of my withdrawals convinced me to never take antidepressants again.

Two years later, a 10-month-old baby in my arms, I struggled between sobs to tell the doctor on call that I needed a prescription. ASAP. Depression is complex.

It’s not like I cry all day. But sometimes I do. I’m not socially incompetent, but some days I am.

I will probably be on pills the rest of my life. It sucks. But I also don’t want to hate myself and everyone else. And I don’t want them to hate me.

I manage my sickness other ways too. Sleeping. Eating right. Limiting alcohol.

Exercising. I also have a tribe.

Many friends face similar demons. After brutal days of dreaming of swerving into the Skeena, we get together and laugh about it. It sounds insane, but it’s true.

My husband still has no idea what I deal with. But when I need space, he gives it to me. He’s learned to accept, not fear my emotions, no matter how irrational they may be. My current doctor is also amazing and I dread the day he leaves our small town like so many others before him.

Our northern wilderness helps too. I often go into the wilderness to sweat out my crazies, breathe deep or scream as loud as possible.

Being open about my depression helps too. It definitely makes for some awkward conversations, but I feel less alone. And sometimes people say, “Me too. I’ve never told anyone.”

I started to question my motives for writing this article, especially because I’m in a pretty good place right now. Then, last week, I got a crowd funding invite for a mom and two kids; the dad had killed himself. I met an incredible colleague at a conference this weekend. A mutual friend told me his 18-year-old daughter committed suicide earlier this year.

Depression is all around us. We hide it pretty well but it’s there. I implore you to learn more.

— Sarah Artis July/August 2017

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arts www.tourismsmithers.com 48 July/August 2017

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