Northword 2016--06

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June / July 2016

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Digging Old Tools

Perfecting Northern Tomatoes

Saving

Tahltan Language

Grooving Music Festivals

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Chasing Food Trucks

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s t o r y p a g e 16

s t o r y p a g e 14

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‘16

Co ver Photo

contents

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Jun e / July

issue no. 63

Your family really otter go to swimming at least once this summer! This family was spotted lounging by one of the streams on Moresby Island, Haida Gwaii. Photo by Laura Sample. To see more of Laura’s work, go to www.laurastruenorth.com and www.facebook.com/laurastruenorth.

Fea tures 6 9 12 14

Peeveys, Pickavxes & Other Perfect-for-the-Job Implements

16

Growing the Northern Tomato

26

Nostalgia for heritage gardening equipment Norma Kerby

If you haven’t got 40 years to grow your own strain, take some tips from a gardening enthusiast

By Emily Bulmer

29

Cultural Conservation

A Tahltan member fights to preserve his nation’s language

By Amanda Follett-Hosgood

8 24

Make Music festivals your summer vacation destination

By Tania Millen

A Town for All Colours

Smithers gets a rainbow crosswalk

By Matt J Simmons

Opal Ridge

No semi-precious stones, but still a hidden gem

By Morgan Hite

Mobile eateries

Drive home mobile food

By Diandra Oliver

Depa rtm en ts 5

Find Your Groove

25

In Other Words

Editorial and cartoon from the seasoned and the silly

Comment

Connecting the dots: Being on the lookout for melanoma can save your life with Kate Daniels-Howard

On the Fly

Fishing in northern BC with Brian Smith

Story Comm en ts?

28 30

Resource Directory

Services and products listed by category

Top Culture

Explore the rural route to northern culture with UNBC’s Rob Budde

The Barometer

A seasonal reading of the Northwest

by Char Toews

Tell us what you’re thinkin’. Comment on any story at www.northword.ca

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contributors

Joanne Campbell

PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER

joanne@northword.ca t: 250.847.4600 f: 847.4668 toll free: 1.866.632.7688

Amanda Follett Hosgood EDITOR

amanda@northword.ca

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

shannon@northword.ca

Sandra Smith

LAYOUT DESIGN, NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

sandra@northword.ca

Brian Smith is a writer and

Kate Daniels-Howard lives and works on Tyhee Lake. As lead of talent solutions for the province, she’s lucky (and happy) to work outside Victoria. In her spare time she’s a professional career and executive coach.

Hans Saefkow is an award-

Rob Budde teaches creative writing and critical theory at the University of Northern British Columbia. He has published seven books (poetry, novels, interviews, and prose poems). His most recent book is Finding Ft. George from Caitlin Press.

photographer who has fly-fished BC’s waters for over 45 years. He recently published his second book, Seasons of a Fly Fisher, and lives with his wife Lois in Prince George.

winning editorial cartoonist, illustrator and set designer. If you see this man, do not approach him, feed him, or listen to his idle chatter. It is simply best not to encourage him.

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

Charlynn Toews has published

in daily and weekly newspapers, national magazines, and loves a good regional. She writes a regular column for Northword from her home in Terrace.

NORTHWORD MAGAZINE Northword Magazine is the only independent, regional magazine that covers northern BC from border to sea. Our goal is to connect northern communities and promote northern culture; we put a vibrant, human face on northern life with great articles and stunning images. Northword Magazine—BC’s top read, for a reason.

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Shannon Antoniak

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Matt J Simmons writes about BC’s incredible landscapes, both natural and cultural. Author of The Outsider’s Guide to Prince Rupert, Matt is always seeking his next big adventure, but has a habit of choosing cold, mosquito-infested landscapes...and loves every minute.

Diandra Oliver is a radical feminist

and economist. Her writing has been featured in Concrete Garden, Remedy Quarterly, Shameless Magazine, Our Schools Ourselves and a number of online publications.

Amanda Follett Hosgood is a

Smithers-based freelance writer, Northword’s editor and a new mom who refined her nursing-whileediting skills as she worked on this issue.

Norma Kerby is a Terrace-based writer and environmental consultant.

Her passions include amphibians, natural ecosystems, sustainable living and adaptations of wildlife and people to northern British Columbia.

She occasionally writes poetry about the North’s uncertain future.

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.

Tania Millen is a Terrace-based

writer, backcountry rider and environmental consultant. Caitlin Press published her second book, Pack em Up, Ride em Out: Classic Horse Pack Trips in British Columbia and Alberta, in March 2015.

BC’s Top Read MAIN OFFICE | Smithers

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editorial

In Other Words

Time to Put Me Out to Pasture

hans saefk ow

...

by Joa n n e C a mpb el l ed i to rial@no rt hwo rd. c a

On days when work and life and everything that’s crazy in the universe converge at a singularity inside my head, I get overwhelmed to the point of having trouble speaking. Sentence structure goes out the window and words hide under ideas.

This usually manifests itself at our Northword proofing sessions: after our articles have been written and edited, a fantastic group of grammar nerds meet over wine and pizza and, armed with coloured pens, go over everything twice more. At this point, after riding shotgun the whole process, I sit in the corner and try not to drool or, god forbid, talk because when I do open my mouth to speak incoherence falls out.

I’m sure my proofers think I’m simple.

It’s at this point in the process that I need to be put out to pasture. No, literally, put outside, in a pasture, with cows and bugs and fresh air, with no computers or cell phones or Netflix or anything that at some point in its cycle has to be plugged in to work. I need to be unplugged in order to recharge Here’s how I’d like to see it unfold: Take me away, by the hand if you need to, do whatever it takes to get me away from electronics and memes and likes and YouTube. Replace them with rolling fields with a view of a valley, banded by rows of mountains and maybe a lake or two. Sit me down on a thick cotton blanket spread in the grass with a little stream nearby. At hand, a picnic basket full of good things to eat, like triple-cream Brie with blueberry chutney on a fresh sourdough baguette, a

handful of sun-warmed wild strawberries, maybe some nice chocolate and a bottle of merlot. White china, heavy silverware, crystal glass.

Also in that basket, a real photo album with hardcopy photos of family and friends, and heart-bound events I don’t ever want to forget.

Even better would be some actual family and friends. And a dance floor.

Yes, that would be very good indeed, a great big dance floor laid out perfectly, out in the pasture. And a stage for music. Acoustic, of course, heavy on the percussion. The cows won’t mind. We’ll invite them to join us and we’ll all dance and play until after the sun slides under the horizon, leaving that tantalizing slice of electric blue, and the stars would dance with the aurora until we all fall down exhausted.

But, you say, wait—what about the fire? You can’t have a pasture party without a fire! Given how dry our summers have been lately, the fire-pitin-the-pasture party might have to wait until the fall (unless the rain gods giveth what the sun gods taketh away). We’ll just have to dance by the light of the silvery moon. And our solar patio lanterns.

Of course, at this very moment, this pastoral interlude is still just another thought stuck in the singularity, something to look forward to when I’m able to speak again. I need to unplug in order to recharge, but don’t we all? Isn’t that why we live here, to have quick access to the great unplugged?

Point us to the pasture. We’ve got some recharging to do.

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no rma ke rby

L e s s e r- kn o w n m a t t o c ks a re c h a m p i o n s f o r re m o v i n g ro o t s f ro m d i ff i c u l t s p o t s .

peaveys, pickaxes & other perfect-for-the-job implements Nostalgia for heritage gardening equipment

by Nor ma Kerby nkerby@t elus.net

With amazing vigour, the rootstock for my Montmorency pie cherry sent suckers across the yard into the garden. Within three years, the neglected corner by the turkey shed supports a healthy grove of pin-cherry trees that are sending their own suckers into the dahlia patch. “Well, this is going to be a problem,� I say to my garden helper about the trees too close to the shed for a chainsaw and too thoroughly rooted in the ground to use a handsaw. Finding a tool to cut out the stumps and roots, other than an expensive backhoe, was going to be a challenge. I live in the part of northern BC where any piece of land left unattended rapidly grows up in shrubs and trees: more often than not red alder, but in this case the aggressive offspring of a happy fruit tree.

Tree growth is a constant struggle in this climate, but a minor problem today compared to what the first round of farmers who cleared the giants of the inland rainforests had to face.

Fighting their way through monstrous stumps and massive roots, these old-timers used methods for land-clearing that were simple: dynamite, fire, horse teams and a raft of hand tools, each adapted to specific uses in their efforts to farm the soil.

Tool for the job I have long been fascinated by old tools. The genius of adaptation to different gardening and 6 | JUNE/JULY ‘16 |

www.n orthword.ca

farming tasks has left an intriguing legacy of hand equipment from the early to mid-1900s, when farming and home gardens were vital to northern communities. With smooth hardwood handles and indestructible iron blades, these tools fit many modern needs of a serious gardener or rural property owner.

Old tools are not easy to find. Most gardeners I know who use them have either inherited them or found them sporadically in second-hand stores or garage sales. Estate sales are another potential source of quality antique or vintage hand tools.

Beware, though, of cracked handles and loosefitting or broken iron heads. Having a tool come apart when you are undertaking a strenuous task can be quite dangerous.

It is very important to look after heritage tools, as they can deteriorate in wet conditions. Wood and iron tools should be put away clean and dry for the winter, such as on the wall of a shed or garage. To prolong their lives further, keep them clean and out of rain and intense sunlight during the growing season. Many people oil the handles and blades, but the necessity of this depends on the local climate.

It is the range of old tools that is so useful to the gardener or rural dweller. Shovels are a good example. A hundred years ago, muscle power was the primary mechanism for doing work. By

designing shovels for specific tasks, the amount of work was greatly reduced and efficiency significantly increased.

In the collection of old shovels in my shed, many were inherited from my father. There is a straight-bottom, flat-grain shovel for loose material that did not need to be pried. Next to it is a narrow, sharp shovel for cutting sod. The next two shovels have different widths and depths for moving heavier materials such as gravel or sand, followed by two shovels, also of different widths and depths, for digging garden soil. A smaller shovel with a D-style handle sits adjacent to a sharp-bladed shovel with a very long handle, good for levering soil out of a deeper hole. In the old days, all these shovels would have hung between slats in the barn, ready for specific jobs.

Garden shovels have never gone out of fashion, but a check online at a major hardware store shows a list of only six varieties, five of which have the same size cutting blade but with variations in handle lengths and styles. The large, historic variation in gardening shovels has, for the most part, disappeared from commercial sales.

A spate of rakes Historical rakes in my shed include a number of bow rakes and flat rakes of various tooth lengths and widths. These tough rakes are suitable for

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Old tools are not easy to find. Most gardeners I know who use them have either inherited them or found them sporadically in second-hand stores or garage sales.

spreading gravel or raking roots, branches and soil clods.

The less robust leaf rakes, artistic with their fans of flat metal prongs, have not fared as well and sport missing teeth, but are still efficient at piling up leaves or grass without tearing up the sod. The most unusual rakes are the two burningpile fire rakes that my father welded—bow rake and flat rake bottoms on metal pipes, as the hardwood handles of normal rakes could catch fire when rearranging burning logs.

Heritage rakes were built for hard work. Compared to the plastic rakes available at most supply stores, they are far less likely to break during serious raking jobs.

Rakes and shovels are still in fashion for gardening and farming, but a variety of other antique tools disappeared from common use as most of our food-growing activities were mechanized. Amongst these tools were the forged tools, often made by the town blacksmith, such as pokes, hooks and grapples for moving fence posts and logs. Some of these forged tools’ original uses I have collected remain a mystery, but all are put to use in tackling objects too heavy to lift. Leverage combined with metal grapples, or a sturdy hardwood-handled peavey, can manoeuvre large poles that could never be moved by hand.

Other useful heritage tools for the home gardener not commonly considered include mattocks and pickaxes. Although you can buy modern mattocks with fibreglass handles, I prefer the more robust historic ones. Mattocks have an axe or sledge on one side of the head, with an adze on the other side. My two historic mattocks have adzes of different sizes, perfect for slicing through roots of variable diameters around stubborn stumps.

Pickaxes were the domain of the early-day hand-miners. If you are gardening where the soil is inclined to form hardpan, or where shovel work cannot break through an impermeable layer, a pickaxe will break up the material. Both tools are well suited for use in small spaces or areas inaccessible to mechanized equipment.

With proper care, all the heritage tools at our place should last a few more generations. In the battle with the sprouts from my pie cherry, especially those that sneakily grow next to the walls of my sheds, the flexibility of these old tools is always appreciated. As long as my aim is good, with a combination of mattocks and sharp shovels, any number of trees can be removed from even the most awkward of locations.

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op-ed

Comm en t

Connecting the dots: Being on the lookout for melanoma could save your life

he removed the blemish and left me with three stitches. When I returned one week later to get the stitches removed, he sat me down, pulled his chair close to mine, looked me in the eye and said, “It’s melanoma.”

It was fortunate that this typically malignant tumor, a form of skin cancer, was caught early. I was sent to Prince George four days later to have a larger piece of skin removed by a plastic surgeon.

After much freezing and four Ativan (what do you mean you’re not putting me under?) I had a fourinch-by-four-inch-by-one-inch piece of my arm flesh removed and 30 stitches running down the back of my arm.

I came home to recover with the plastic surgeon’s response to why they’d taken so much playing over and over in my head: “It’s the most deadly form of cancer, and it spreads fast.” I commenced lymphatic massage therapy, which my doctor recommended, to help reduce swelling and scarring.

Shortly afterward, my doctor brought me in to map every spot on my body. I also had a chest X-ray and mammogram. Thankfully, the results

by K ate Da n iel s -Howa r d fa nny 61 @y ahoo .c om

I’m not blonde, nor a natural redhead. I don’t have freckles or blue eyes. I grew up in the desert sun of the Okanagan Valley and spent most of my winter vacations in Maui or Mexico. I also lived aboard a sailboat for 15 years, exposed to the elements.

With this in mind, I have been keeping a careful eye on the moles, skin tags and freckles that have sprung up over the years. Although I have worn SPF 45 sunscreen for years, I spent my adolescence slathered in Johnson’s baby oil to get that perfect tan, so I’ve been expecting one of these brown spots to turn hostile and am ever vigilant.

Last August, I saw what appeared to be a bug bite smaller than a Tic Tac on the back of my arm, which hadn’t been there before. I scratched it, but it wasn’t itchy. It didn’t go away, so after a few days I went to see the doctor, who sent me packing with a prescription for steroid cream and a request to return in a week if it wasn’t gone. A week later, I was back in the doctor’s office, where

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from my excision (the giant hole in my arm) came back negative, indicating all the cancerous cells had been removed, as in time did the X-ray and mammogram.

My intent here is to raise awareness. I have been waiting all my life for one of my moles to betray me, go rogue, crack and turn black in what would be skin cancer of some form. The fact that it came so innocently, as a tiny red dot on a part of my body that you need a mirror to see, was shocking to me.

I took precautions starting in my 20s to minimize my exposure to the sun, dressing in longsleeve shirts and hats with wide brims. And yet it got me. When discussing this with my doctor, who is from South Africa, he told me that in his homeland he saw very few cases of melanoma, yet here, in northern BC, he sees three to five cases a year. Exposure is one thing, he says, but there are other environmental factors that he thinks contribute as well. Time and science will tell.

Who knows? Google is full of information, but none of the pictures I saw looked like my red spot.

The take-home message here is, don’t just look at your moles and don’t just look at what you can immediately see. Get your partner, friend, kid, whomever to check your head, back of your ears, bottom of your feet, between your toes and all points north and west. Inspect all different types of blemishes—it’s not always what you think. And ask your first-degree relatives about the family history; skin cancer can be hereditary.

If melanoma isn’t caught early it can spread to your brain, liver, lungs and once there, well— let’s stick with the mitigation strategy for now. If even one person reads this and does a spot check I’ll feel like I’ve done a little something to raise awareness. Here’s wishing you a happy and fun exploration of your spots. Connecting the dots could save your life!

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A i r p r u n ed root s in a c o mp re s s e d soil b loc k prevent the p l an t from b e c oming ro o t bo u n d i n s id e a p ot .

TOMATO

a n d y pollock

growing the northern

And y P o l l o ck devel oped the Pol l ock to mato , a strai n resi stant to norther n f ro sts w hi l e beari ng l arg e amo un t s of f rui t, through d ecades of reservi ng seed s f rom the e arl i est- p roduci ng pl ants w i th the g reatest y i el ds.

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by Emi ly B u l me r ad vent uremily@yaho o. c a

If a northern gardener is going to be caught bragging, chances are good that it will be about their tomatoes. Homegrown tomatoes are one of the many pleasures of summer and whether you start them from seed or buy them from the farmers’ market, nothing beats the flavour of a sun-ripened tomato. Although they are a heat-loving plant, it is still possible to grow the luscious fruit in our cooler climate.

Andy Pollock, from Houston, BC, has not only grown tomatoes, he has spent 40 years breeding his very own strain with hardiness, fruit production and flavour in mind. The Pollock tomato is an indeterminate, or vine, tomato that can withstand frost.

“I’ve had more than one person tell me, ‘There’s no way you can grow a hardy tomato—they’re a tropical plant.’ Well, I did it,” he says, “and you can’t argue with success.”

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Pollock describes the humble beginnings: “I grew (Bonny Best, a variety suited to short, cool growing seasons) and the next spring I had a volunteer that came out from where a rotten tomato fell. I thought, ‘I’m not going to pull it up, I’m just going to see what happens.’ Through the summer I watched it and it wasn’t extremely big but it had 30 tomatoes on it. They weren’t huge— about six ounces. So I saved seeds and replanted them the next year. I did that for about 10 or 12 years in Kamloops. When I moved up here I selected only the heaviest, strongest plants. Over the years, I’ve had them get bigger, sturdier and with more fruit.”

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Accidental life’s work His home in rural Houston is at about 1,000 m in elevation and subject to cooler temperatures than the valley bottom. The breeding program takes place on the side of a mountain in an unheated greenhouse.

“I usually leave the doors and the windows open in the greenhouse, even when there’s frost. My plants, the Pollocks, will survive at -2 C. Compared to other tomatoes, these will survive when others die.”

Keeping track of the best plants and selecting for the desirable traits by hand takes careful observation and patience.

“I’ll put a flag on the first plants that set buds, I’ll put a second flag on the first ones that sets flowers, and I’ll put a third flag on the first ones that sets fruit. Only three or four plants will have all three flags. I only save seeds from the first three fully vine-ripened tomatoes. When I clean them I spread out the seeds on a table cloth and I only select the largest seeds.” Fruit on the Pollock tomato is between eight and 10 ounces each on unpruned plants.

“I have had reports of tomatoes up to a pound or better and everyone has reported heavy production,” he says. “They have a tender skin, the core only goes down about half an inch and if they are fully ripe you can run a knife under the edge of the skin and peel it off without blanching.”

His tomato is well known in organic gardening circles and the seeds can be purchased from several catalogues including Annapolis Seeds, Saltspring Seeds and Sugar Shack Seeds. He calls it his “accidental life’s work” and though he has found success, he isn’t ready to quit: “I am working on a -5 hardy tomato. I have had it survive -3. … I managed to get viable seed and I’ve been keeping that strain going.”

Depending on the year, Smithers horticulturalist Carla Atherton grows between 1,700 and 2,300 pounds of tomatoes. Though she has yet to try the Pollock tomato, she says she looks forward to testing it out: “I’m thrilled to be able to get something that is local. I’m excited to try it and curious to see how

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H o u s ton ’s An dy Polloc k ha s spe nt 40 y e a rs b reedi ng hi s very ow n toma t o st ra in t o wit hst a nd sub- z ero t e mperatu res , produc e we ll a nd t a st e good .

it will do in my greenhouse and how its yield will be affected by my environmental conditions.”

Apart from choosing the right strain, environmental conditions have a great bearing on a tomato grower’s success. Atherton emphasizes getting to know the environment you have to work with and experimenting with different techniques, as each garden has its unique quirks. She has production down to a science and shares her knowledge by mentoring other gardeners. She offers a few quick tips for a successful yield.

Start at the bottom Atherton says a healthy root system is where it all starts. She uses pressed soil blocks instead of pots.

This method allows the roots to air prune, which prevents the plant from becoming root bound inside a pot. When the tomatoes are ready to plant in the greenhouse, she digs a trench and gently places the plant lengthways, leaving the top six inches above ground.

“I pull off all the lower leaves and bury it. The hairs on the stem will all produce roots when it is underground,” she says.

Once the plant naturally rights itself (don’t bend it!), she attaches it to the trellis. The additional root mass helps feed the plant through the season.

Watering the plants deeply (so the earth is soaked to a depth of six to eight inches) but infrequently draws the roots down into the soil, helping them reach nutrients deeper down. Atherton prefers a wholistic approach by building up soil nutrients with compost rather than adding a lot of fertilizer.

Climate control “When I’m planting in my greenhouse, I make sure that it isn’t too warm,” Atherton says, emphasizing the importance of temperature and moisture control. An automatic ventilation system keeps the

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greenhouse between 24 and 27 C. At 32 C, without enough ventilation, the plants will stop growing.

Humidity control is also vital: “Getting airflow is really important for controlling disease. The biggest diseases that can be avoided are early and late blights, which has so much to do with the moisture in your greenhouse,” Atherton says about the disease that produces brown to black target-like spots on older leaves and, if severe, attacks the stems and fruit.

“You should remove all diseased plant tissue, space the plants farther apart to improve air circulation, and avoid overhead irrigation,” She says.

Less is more Pruning is one of those things that just feels wrong. However, pruning tomatoes correctly can divert energy from the production of foliage to the production of fruit.

“Once the first set of trusses (bunch of fruit) starts to develop, I start pruning off the bottom branches. Then, when the next set of trusses from the bottom starts, I prune whatever is under that set. There are still lots of leaves above for photosynthesis and shade. The goal is getting that foliage up and getting the airflow underneath,” she says.

Atherton also advises to learn whether your tomato is determinate (bush) or indeterminate (vine) as bush tomatoes require less pruning.

Whatever you do, don’t chop off the leader!

Learning from friends or neighbours is an important part of growing local food; there are many experts who are happy to share their secrets. Though often modest, those champion tomato growers are proud of their exploits and want others to be successful as well. While it may take years to win a ribbon at the fall fair (if ever), growing tasty, homegrown tomatoes is within reach of any willing and diligent gardener.

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cultural conservation

A Tahltan fights to preserve his first nation’s language

by Ama nd a Fol let t Ho sgo o d a m a n d a @ n o r t h w o rd . c a

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It’s a well-worn cliché that the Inuit have dozens of words for snow.

Though widely disputed among academics, the claim underscores a language’s inherent connection to its culture: a people cannot live so close to the land for thousands of years without finding intimate ways to describe it.

Similarly, the Tahltan, a once-nomadic First Nation that has inhabited BC’s northwest for countless generations, have 400 ways of saying “to move.” But with only a handful of Tahltanspeaking elders left in the community, those words—along with the rest of the language—are at risk of disappearing.

Oscar Dennis grew up in the Tahltan village of Iskut, 400 km north of Kitwanga. Although his father, James, spoke only Tahltan growing

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up, Oscar didn’t seriously begin studying the language until 2011. Today, it’s his passion to preserve it for future generations.

Oscar began the Tahltan Language Conservation Initiative after completing a master’s thesis about Tahltan language structure in 2014. He says the current “revitalization” method—attempting to preserve language through teaching memorization—isn’t enough: Memorization doesn’t work when there are 400 ways to say “to move,” he points out.

Instead, he advocates an emphasis on recording the language: preserve it now, so it can still be taught later. He is working with remaining speakers to create archives in both audio and printed formats, and to develop interactive digital resources, such as apps and e-books. He also hopes to produce a printed dictionary.

Connection to culture In the past year, Iskut, a community of only a few hundred residents, has lost nine Tahltan speakers, often to cancer. Others are aging and unwell; all but two of just over a dozen remaining speakers

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Generation to generation Caitlin Nicholson is Oscar’s former partner and greatest champion in his work to preserve the Tahltan language. As the mother of a Tahltan son, her motivation stems from wanting her grandchildren to know their language.

“You want your children to have the best. To me that’s the best—to get to learn your language,” she says. “If the older generation starts learning and we can get a few fluent speakers, we can teach the younger generation.

“It was super important for me that I start learning it.”

Nicholson lives in Prince George where she teaches high school art and English, including English First Peoples, which integrates an aboriginal curriculum. Working closely with Cree and Tahltan elders, she developed a children’s book in 2008 about the First Nations’ values of preserving language and culture: “I’ve always been interested in promoting indigenous languages,” she says.

Through editing Oscar’s work and studying independently (she listens to recordings in her car), she is beginning to pick up bits of Tahltan.

“I’m actually able to pick out sounds and words now. That was really exciting for me,” she says.

“I’m not super good at it yet, but enough that I’m even starting to pick up errors in the Tahltan.”

Nicholson points out that Oscar has the cultural, academic and technological background to make

this project a success. All it lacks are the funds to move forward: “It would be great if he got enough funding to work with a few more people,” she says.

“Oscar’s unusual. He will live on nothing to get this out there. Not everyone’s like that,” she adds.

“It’s hard to have that discipline to not give up on your dream.”

Funding a dream Government funding currently goes toward revitalization of the language—the memorization approach that, as Oscar points out, has been unsuccessful over the past 40 years in increasing the number of Tahltan speakers.

Without funding for his efforts, Oscar has been working independently and recently began fundraising in the hopes of bringing others on board.

A crowd-funding campaign (visit www.indiegogo. com and search “Tahltan Language Conservation Initiative”) hopes to raise $35,000, which would buy recording equipment and hire other native Tahltan speakers to document their knowledge of the language.

“We need to get into conservation mode because our elders are dying,” Oscar says. “I can’t do it by myself.”

Using today’s technology means these modernday teaching tools would be readily available to anyone with an Internet connection and an interest in learning the Tahltan language. De’eda Es-li’e Te-degēt, a book for children under 5, is already available for download through iTunes.

Oscar has also developed an interactive website dedicated to teaching the Tahltan language at www.didenekeh.com. A Facebook group called Tahltan Language Collective, which teaches through social media, has close to 800 members.

“This is my passion and my goal,” Oscar says. “I see how vulnerable our language is.”

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are over 70. Oscar describes only five “high-level speakers,” one of which is his father, who learned English as a second language.

James Dennis suffers from Alzheimer’s. Living close to his father and helping to care for him has given Oscar the opportunity to work with his dad and develop a better understanding of the language.

“Our language is so complex,” he says. “I’m still learning.”

Tahltan is a Dene language, as is Navaho; the two are similar. During the Second World War, Navaho was used as a code system against the Japanese. Though complex, it is encrypted with pattern and understanding those patterns makes learning the language easier, Oscar says.

“Many linguists I’ve talked to say there’s nothing like the Dene language,” he says. “It’s a really amazing language.”

Tahltan was originally documented by nonnative speakers, preserving only a superficial snapshot of its complexity. Because those recording the language weren’t familiar with the culture or its worldview, translations directly from English meant that a Tahltan word was simply substituted for an English concept, Oscar explains.

Take, for example, the word for rainbow. It had previously been translated based on its English roots: rain and bow. According to Oscar, “In Tahltan, we don’t call the rainbow ‘rainbow.’ We call it ‘sky rope.’”

Additionally, no culture, and by extension no language, is static. Even as he works to preserve the language, it continues to evolve. As a result, Oscar questions the usefulness of teaching today’s students antiquated phrases like, “My mother is picking berries on the hillside.”

In an effort to keep up with the times, he recently created an app to help his 18-year-old nephew practise his Tahltan language skills. “He wants to say what’s real, what he could use,” he says. The app includes phrases for introducing himself, asking how a person is doing, and saying, “Check out that beautiful girl.”

Os c a r De n n i s ’ p a re n t s , M a r y a n d Ja m e s , b u t c h e r a m o o s e i n t h e Ta h l t a n c o m m u n i t y o f I s ku t , i n n o r t h w e s t B C . Os c a r h a s b e e n w o r ki n g w i t h Ja m e s , w h o g re w u p s p e a ki n g the Ta h l t a n l a n g u a g e , t o re c o rd a n d p re s e r v e t h e l a n g u a g e f o r f u t u re g e n e r a t i o n s .

Once the project comes together, a template for using modern technology to record and teach endangered languages would be made available to other First Nations. Through collaboration and innovation, there’s hope that not a single word for describing what’s important to a culture would ever need to be lost.

“It’s really amazing to see a whole different worldview,” Oscar says about the learning process.

“That’s what keeps people passionate about it.”

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mobile eateries drive home local food t n e m e v o m A m y Q u ar r y an d J odi B al l i n ger ren ov ated a 1 9 7 4 f i b re g l a s s Tr i p l e E Su r f s i d e t r a i l e r t o c re a t e E l ev en s es S n ack S h op, a m obi l e foo d v e n d o r s e r v i n g b e a u t i f u l c h a rc u t e r i e p l a t t e r s .

by Di a n dr a Ol ive r ohsweet ie@gmail.c om

When you tuck in behind the wheel on your next journey along a northern BC highway, there’s a pretty good chance you will already have your favourite pit stops planned out. Whether it’s a fresh-out-of-the-oven loaf of wholegrain from Skeena Bakery in Hazelton, creamy espresso and biscotti at Edgewood Farm in Quesnel or a handmade slow-roasted pulled pork at The BEAM in Fort St. John, northern BC is littered with some of the best food to make any long-haul road trip noteworthy.

Over the past few years we’ve been lucky to add a number of food trucks to this list. While their existence is relatively new in the region—almost half opened in 2015—the summer months promise any foodie or hungry traveller two dozen mobile eateries to choose from. However, without a robust regional food truck culture or a handy app to tell you where your new favourite mobile eatery is parked, finding them can be a challenge.

Last summer, my partner and I embarked on a mini-research project to see how food trucks act as a vehicle for community economic development in northern BC. We hit the road to catalogue the 24 food trucks that are anchored in northern communities at almost every stretch of the region’s highways. We wanted to find out how this popular urban sub-culture made its way to the North and why, in 2015, the industry started to explode.

We found out that, like their urban counterparts, rural food truck operators work tirelessly in the name of bringing delicious, fresh, local cuisine to their communities. The ones we talked to told us that, aside from wanting to work for themselves, they decided to get into the business because of relatively low start-up costs, quick turnaround in finding or outfitting a vehicle, and an interest in being part of an emerging regional food culture.

Northern BC boasts a mixture of standard commercial food trucks and trailers, both new and renovated, their boxy fabricated walls holding together the most nimble camp kitchen you’ve ever seen. They are often found in their hometowns at farmers’ markets, local events and on commercial lots (most community bylaws restrict food trucks from using municipal properties).

These trucks serve mostly concession-stand foods (hamburgers, fries, ice cream, hot dogs, sandwiches, the odd taco) and barbecue (pulled pork, beans, mac and cheese). The menus on newer trucks will often feature vegetarian fare, charcuterie platters filled with local meats, cheese, pickles and jams, and fancy comfort foods like the banh mi, a tasty Vietnamese sandwich on a baguette.

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Love of Caravan Ask anyone in the Bulkley Valley and they’ll tell you the dishes coming out of Michaela Kafer’s food truck Caravan are to die for. We first heard about Caravan from other food producers in the area who could not stop talking about Kafer’s delicious offerings. Every time we asked someone about their favourite food trucks they said, “You have to try Caravan!”

Kafer launched Caravan last year after her desire to open a restaurant was met with the opportunity to get her hands on a food truck. “A restaurant felt a bit like it was too much of a commitment and there just happened to be a food truck for sale in the area that was brand new—you know, a couple years old, really well laid out, decked out with all the equipment that you would need. I felt like that was a message that everything was in line and to go down that road,” Kafer says.

But that road can be bumpy. Food truck operators in northern BC face challenges when getting their businesses up and running. Mobile food vending is an emerging phenomenon in the region and municipal bylaws, financial institutions and health officers are playing catch up. For vendors like Kafer, getting their hands on a reliable, high-traffic location near their municipality’s centre is a challenge.

Overwhelmingly, operators say finding permanent places to set up and vend is a critical issue when municipal bylaws prohibit or place restrictions on food trucks from vending on public property or within close proximity of similar businesses. Some worked around this by repeatedly calling and advocating for themselves with bylaw officers to gain access to popular parks and neighbourhoods.

This approach worked for Kafer, who was recently granted access to a space in downtown Smithers’ Bovill Square, where she launched another season of her favourite seasonal menus in May. Despite the challenges with getting a food truck off the ground, Kafer was driven by the impact her business has on the community.

“I think the reason that I do it is that it’s something I care about. My friends and family all care about good food, the flavours of the food and the quality of the food that we’re eating. I try and bring that to everybody, hopefully educating people a little bit as well by using local products, finding out what’s here and learning how to incorporate that into the food,” she says.

Fantastic food trucks and where to find them Hitting the road this summer? Be sure to stay fuelled: find the following food trucks via their Facebook pages or ask at local visitors’ centres.

Jodie’s Ice Cream Wagon, Little Prairie The Funky Goat, Valemount Frozen Paddle Ice Cream, Prince George Taco Gypsy, Quesnel Zittlaus’ Quick Eats, Telkwa Caravan, Smithers Happy Pig Organic Farm, Smithers Fender Food Company, Hazelton michaela kafer

The Puckered Pig Mobile Bistro, Terrace/Kitimat Dash Mobile Bistro, Stewart Fries & Pies, Prince Rupert

T h e N o r t h ’s e m e rg i n g f o o d t r u c k c u l t u re i s b r i n g i n g h i g h - q u a l i t y, l o c a l c u i s i n e t o a s t re e t c o r n e r n e a r y o u .

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Showcasing local Food trucks’ inherent mobility and their seasonal nature mean menus are inspired by what ingredients are available around them. Supplies are bought from local farms and producers, as well as smaller, locally owned wholesalers aiming to keep their purchasing dollars in the community as much as possible.

For Amy Quarry, inspiring her community to explore local ingredients was a main motivation for getting into the food truck business. Last year, the founder of Small Town Love, a website advocating buying local in the North, and her best friend, Jodi Ballinger, launched Elevenses Snack Shop in Quesnel. With the help of friends, they renovated a 1974 fibreglass Triple E Surfside trailer into a space where they could assemble their beautiful charcuterie platters. Using reused and repurposed materials, they painted it a bright turquoise and installed wood counters and chalkboard elements.

Often they brought along a table, chairs and festive bunting, spilling out into the space around them.

“We both have an interest in local food and local food products so what we served was a showcase for local food,” Quarry says. Their artfully crafted charcuterie plates featured jams, produce, meats, pickles and cheeses, all made by local producers. “People were saying, ‘Wow, it’s amazing, I’ve never had this,’ but they could get it where they live, they just didn’t know they can, so trying to create that awareness of other people who are making food in the area has been a bigger part of how we created our menu,” Quarry says.

This past winter, Ballinger relocated to 100 Mile House. She and Quarry decided to sell their food truck, giving another budding entrepreneur the opportunity to jump into the business a little more easily than they did.

“We’ve made a really beautiful thing out of not a lot of money,” Quarry says.

“I think people like that. … I hope it inspires people.”

Every vendor we met on the road was excited about the work they were doing in their community and their place in creating a regional food culture.

Their unrelenting focus on supporting local products speaks volumes to the ability of this emerging industry to build community and inspire a muchneeded refocusing toward local food production. They envision a place where people gather to share a meal at a food truck whose work is more than just to feed, but to introduce our region and its people to a new way of doing business that puts the community first.

JOIN US

September 9-11, 2016 IN BEAUTIFUL JASPER NATIONAL PARK WHERE MUSIC AND MOUNTAINS MEET.

www.jasperfolkmusicfestival.ca

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mary mat heso n

mo unta in c a t ima g e s

A rt sWe lls Fe st iv a l o f A l l Thi ngs A rt takes it s ma nda t e se rio usl y, w i th o ver 2 0 d i ff erent work shops, k ids’ acti vi ti es, f i l ms, theatre produc t ions, t he 1 4 th I nter nati onal O ne- M i nute Pla y Fe st iv a l a nd l i terary p erf ormances al l wra ppe d int o one bi g f esti val i n a very smal l to w n.

With over 100 performances on 12 stages, you might need to attend Ar t s We l l s Festival of Al l T h i n g s Ar t several years r u n n i n g t o t a ke it all in.

find your groove

Make music festivals your summer vacation destination

by Ta n i a Mi l le n

tania.millen@gma i l . c om

This summer, we challenge you to plan a musical road trip to somewhere new: Never been to Atlin, Tumbler Ridge or Taylor? How about Iskut or Haida Gwaii? Don’t know where Dunster is? What about Kispiox, Wells or Rolla?

Prefer a larger town? Check out Dawson Creek, Smithers, Jasper, Fort St. James or Terrace.

Northern BC’s music festivals are often located in out-of-the-way, one-ofa-kind places that are well worth your effort to visit. These remarkable events provide an outlet for the talented musicians and artists who call northern BC home, as well as visiting talent invited to inspire regional performers and festival attendees.

The music can be downright eclectic—from solo acts to crazy funk, blues to soul, reggae to multi-million-dollar headliners and everything in between.

Sometimes the music descriptions and band names are half the entertainment, and spectators resort to you had to be there to describe the act. But music 16 | JUNE/JULY ‘16 |

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festivals aren’t just a spectator sport. There are many ways for musically inclined attendees to participate—from workshops to jamming with visiting bands.

Music aside, regional food can be a highlight and depending on the festival, the beer garden may be hopping (pun intended). Onsite camping is often available and is a great way to channel your inner hippie with shared meals, campfires, sing-alongs and bring-your-own-instrument jam sessions. Even if banging spoons on pots stretches your musical talent, everyone’s welcome— and encouraged—to create their own festival experience.

So check out the listings below, choose your festival and plan your trip.

If you’re new to festival going you certainly won’t be disappointed and will quite possibly become a music fest addict. If you’re already a fan, well, you’ve likely already got your groove on. Either way, get ready. This summer is packed with festivals just waiting for you. ... continued on Page 18

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en ho ff m an u ke gg

S ta rte d o ve r 30 ye a rs a g o in the b a c k o f a p ic k - up truc k , E d g e o f the Wo rld in H a id a Gw a ii no w p ro vid e s lo c a l a nd re g io na l p e rf o rm e rs the o p p o rtunity to s ha re the s ta g e w ith w e llk no w n he a d line rs

F es ti va l an d M u si c A tl in A rt s C, n o rt h er n B fe st iv al in c si u l m al g s in t- ru n n em b ra ce T h e lo n g es c F es ti va l si u M ci an s si er u m m M id su m ic m ix o f ct le ec S m it h er s’ an h o st s m u si c an d g en re s o f es . o n fo u r st ag od ll et t h o sg o am an d a fo

jason shafto

... continued from Page 16

Midsummer Music Festival Smithers, July 1-3 From $50. Camping $20. Beer garden.

As the longest-running music festival in northern BC, Midsummer embraces all genres of music and hosts an eclectic mix of musicians on four stages.

There are world-class artists headlining every year along with workshops, jam sessions and a host of vendors. With such a variety of music and stages, you can kick back and relax or party the night away—your choice.

More info: www.smithersmusicfest.com Dawson Creek Music Festival Dawson Creek, July 10 Free admission. No camping.

This free, family-oriented outdoor festival is in its second year and the locals are pumped. The fest features bands from the Peace region, food vendors, bouncy castles, face painting, slip-and-slide and Movie in the Park. Whether you’re a resident or just travelling through, this fest is a great way to spend a summer day.

More info: Find Dawson Creek Music Festival on Facebook.

Sweetwater 905 Arts and Music Festival Rolla, June 11 From $60. Free camping. Beer garden.

This family-friendly signature regional event has been going strong for 12 years. It provides opportunities to enjoy emerging and local artists plus established visiting musicians. Fun times include food, craft and art vendors, all in a relaxed farm setting. It’s only one day, so plan to go for a good time, not a long time.

More info: www.sweetwater905.com

Atlin Arts and Music Festival Atlin, July 8-10 From $142. Camping $40 adjacent to festival.

Beer garden. No pets.

Atlin’s combo arts and music fest draws performers and visitors from across the region, swelling the town to six times its usual size. Now in its 13th year, the fest has a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere where the town is the festival.

There are diverse art, music and kids’ workshops, plus headline musicians, artists and films. Join the fun in phenomenal scenery.

More info: www.atlinfestival.ca

WestFest Terrace, June 11-12 From $30. Camping nearby. Local craft beer.

This small-time festival is in its second year providing big-time entertainment.

The fest welcomes local and regional talent plus select headliners to the little city on the Skeena. Workshops, food and craft vendors, plus a bonfire and community get-together round out the experience, so you’re sure to meet the locals at this one.

More info: Find WestFest on Facebook.

CanolaFest Taylor, July 16 From $71. VIP Camping $101 onsite.

No outside food, beverages. No pets.

This fest boasts headliners on two stages plus a showcase of local talent from around the Peace region. It’s a one-day, family-friendly event filled with music, food and art vendors. Plus there’s a free shuttle from Fort St. John, so grab some friends and make some memories dancing the night away.

More info: www.canolafest.com ... continued on Page 20

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music festivals in northern bc

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cp ha il sh an no n m ra ph y rs en ph ot og el iz ab et h la

Th e S acred H eadw ater s Mu s i c Fes ti v al i s as m u ch com m u n i ty get-togeth er as fes ti v al : al l m u s i ci an s are w el com e.

C am pi n g, food v en dor s , m erch an ts , a k i ds ’ area an d m u ch m ore rou n d ou t a fan tas ti c w eek en d at th e Ki s pi ox Val l ey Mu s i c Fes ti v al . B r i n g y ou r dan ci n g s h oes !

s ha nno n mc pha il

St u n n i n g s c e n e r y i s j u s t o n e a t t r a c t i o n a t t h e Sa c re d Headwaters Music Festival.

... continued from Page 18

Sacred Headwaters Music Festival Iskut, July 15-17 Free admission. Free camping onsite.

As much community get-together as music festival, this family-oriented fest has provided a place to meet new and old friends since 2005. There are no headliners and all musicians are welcome. Additional entertainment includes food vendors, kids’ activities, raffles and dance-offs, all in stunning scenery.

Bring your instruments, pull up a chair and celebrate community at this fest (and feast!).

More info: Contact Rhoda Quock, www.iskut.org or www.skeenawatershed.com.

Kispiox Valley Music Festival Kispiox Rodeo Grounds, July 22-24 From $20. Camping onsite.

No dogs. No alcohol.

With a great reputation built over 22 years of providing every type of music, many locals plan their holidays around this fest. There’s music for everyone on the main stage along the river, plus an intimate indoor stage. Camping, food vendors, merchants, a kids’ area and much more round out a fantastic weekend. Bring your dancing shoes—let’s get the party started.

More info: www.kvmf.ca Grizfest Music Festival Tumbler Ridge, July 30-31 From $110. Offsite camping from $18.

No dogs. No glass bottles or outside alcohol. Beer garden.

This fest has been presenting diverse musical talent plus kids’ games, a horseshoe tournament and face painting for the last 15 years. But it’s not just an entertaining event—you can be part of the show! There’s a free battle-ofthe-bands and vocalist competition on Friday, July 29 with cash prizes and a chance to open Grizfest. So tune up your voice and get ready to rock the stage.

More info: www.grizfest.com ... continued on Page 22

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music festivals in northern bc

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n ro b jo hn so

vi ctori a san ders & travi s h ami l ton of freedom road portraits

C a m p f i re jam s are a b ig pa rt of a ny gre a t music f e st i v a l . Th i s on e’s at M usic on t he M ount a in

J a sp e r Fol k Mu s i c F e s t i v a l cel ebrates R o c k y M o u n tai n c u l t ure , fam i l y fu n , m us i c , a rti s an s an d w o r k sh o p s , al l i n on e o f C a na da’s fabu l ou s n a t i o n a l parks .

Edge of the World Music Festival Tlell, Aug. 5-7 From $70. Camping from $25 offsite.

No alcohol.

Started over 30 years ago in the back of a pick-up truck, this fest provides local and regional performers the opportunity to share the stage with wellknown headliners. Enchanting Haida Gwaii has to be visited to be understood and this fest is the highlight of many visitor’s summer holiday to the isles.

You’ll also enjoy local and off-island vendors, interactive projects and a lantern parade, making this fest well worth the (ferry) trip.

More info: www.edgefestival.ca Robson Valley Music Festival Dunster, Aug. 12-14 From $110. Free camping.

No dogs. Bring your own potable water.

Now in its 12th year, Robson Valley Music Festival is all about music and scenery. How could it not be? It’s held on sensational band Mamaguroove’s property in the superlative Robson Valley and welcomes every type of sound imaginable. Music lovers, this one’s for you, but plan ahead—attendance is limited to the first 1,000 through the gate.

More info: www.rvmf.ca

e M o u n ta in M u si c o n th

rtr ai ts om ro ad po ilt on of fre ed & tra vis ha m s er nd sa vic to ria

... continued from Page 20

ArtsWells Festival of All Things Art Wells, July 29-Aug. 1 From $152. Camping from $20 onsite.

No cell reception and limited shopping. Bring what you need.

All things art: need we say more? This indoor-outdoor event has over 100 performances on 12 stages with over 20 different workshops, kids’ activities, films, theatre productions, the 14th International One-Minute Play Festival, literary performances and discounted entry fees for local attractions, such as Barkerville. Better plan on attending a few years in a row, because you won’t have time to experience everything. Wow. Just, wow!

More info: www.artswells.com

22 | JUNE/JULY‘16

MoM Festival (formerly Music on the Mountain) Fort St. James, Aug. 19-21 From $60. Free camping.

Now in its seventh year, this music-and-arts festival features original and independent music and art, plus fantastic food vendors, artisans, visual artists and kids’ workshops. There’s also a celebration of healing and wellness at the new healing sanctuary onsite this year. So head down to the river for some R-and-R, music and fun during the last weeks of summer.

More info: www.momfestival.com Jasper Folk Music Festival Jasper, Sept. 9-11 From $100. Camping nearby in Jasper National Park.

This fest is where music and mountains meet. It’s a festival of Rocky Mountain culture, family fun, music, artisans and workshops all held in one of Canada’s fabulous national parks. If you need an excuse to go to the Rockies, here it is—just waiting for you to get your groove on, one last time.

More info: www.jasperfolkmusicfestival.ca

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Darcie Sm i th catches f ish on the f ly at B o unda r y Lak e, no rth of Prince Geo rge.

by B r i a n S mit h fl yfishingnut 4 7@gm a i l . c om

Fly fishing can take you to some of the most beautiful places in our great outdoors: pristine forests, tranquil lakes, breath-taking mountain ranges and bustling rivers. Our north country is full of them. You’ll have a chance to see magnificent wildlife in its natural environment and opportunities for quiet solitude. Once you learn the basics of fly casting, the gentle rhythm and swish-swish of the line in motion adds to the enjoyment of your sport.

Boundary Lake, nestled in the foothills of the McGregor Mountains north of Prince George, is one of those beautiful places. About 30 km north of Prince George on Highway 97 North, just past the Huble Homestead turn-off, take the North Fraser Road east to the 25 km marker and turn left (north) on North Averill Road, which takes you to the Boundary Lake Forestry Rec Site about six km along the gravel road.

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On the Fly Boundary Lake: A quiet family getaway north of Prince George

I recommend a pickup truck, preferably four-byfour, for this journey, as the access road is safe but somewhat rough, narrow and usually has some wet spots. The lake doesn’t see much activity, so the brush along the road can get a little out of hand—take a machete to save scratches. The rec site is suitable for truck and camper access, but nothing larger or longer due to tight turnarounds.

Boundary has a rough boat launch and dock, five good campsites and a pit toilet. It is well suited for a quiet family getaway to introduce the kids to fishing. There is not much beetle-kill pine in the area, the lake being surrounded by spruce, fir and various deciduous species. It is a small lake, about 20 hectares, and not on the Freshwater Fisheries stocking program so the fish are wild stock, likely propagated by the nearby Fraser River system through feeder creeks.

Wild fish lakes are special, though not unusual in the Omenica Region, and when left to nature’s guidance will also contain various species of coarse fish: freshwater fish that are not game fish, such as whitefish, pike minnows and suckers. The rainbow trout in Boundary, typical of wild fish stock, are really scrappy and the “keepers” will range in size from 30 to 50 cm. They will take wet or dry flies with reckless abandon depending upon the hatch in progress or current insect activity.

A few years back, in late June, I accompanied two buddies to Boundary, where we caught trout all day long on the surface with caddisflies.

Because of its small size, the lake can be covered several times during a day’s fishing, but I’ve found the shoals on the far side directly across from the campsite have excellent feeding areas for trout: abundant weed beds, a deep hole, a point of land and lots of fish.

Flies I recommend for now through July are wet flies such as mayfly nymphs, damselfly nymphs, dragonfly nymphs and small leeches; dry flies will include caddisflies and small midges such as Tom Thumb #16. You can also be successful with flies such as silver- or gold-bodied muddler minnows because there are coarse fish in the system, and some of the larger trout will surely be feeding on small fry. If trout are showing, rising around the lake, these are “happy” trout; put on a dry fly, anchor quietly in their feeding areas and target them with a floating line and caddisfly imitation— you won’t be disappointed!

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a town for all colours

a rainbow cr s t e g s oss r e wa h t i lk m S

s ubmitte d

C a n ada’s fi rs t ra inbow c rosswa lk wa s pa inted i n Van cou ver, a t D a v ie a nd But e st re e t s, in 2 013. Sm i th ers ge t s it s ra inbow c rosswa lk i n M a y, as w i l l othe r nort he r n c ommunit ie s, such a s Terrace an d Princ e Rupe rt , t his summer.

by Matt J S i m mo ns thewr it er@mat t jsim m on s. c om

There’s something inherently cheerful about a rainbow, which is why it’s so often associated with happy things. Rainbows feature in songs, art, design, mythology, religion and literature. When I was a kid, the phrase “all the colours of the rainbow” referred to racial equality and acceptance of everyone, regardless of who you are, what you look like, where you come from, what you believe.

Since the late 1970s, one of the many things the rainbow has come to represent is the LGBTQ community—that’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. Canada’s first rainbow crosswalk was painted in Vancouver in 2013 and dozens of other communities have since joined the movement. Smithers, Terrace and Prince Rupert are all poised to paint the colours on their streets this year, but there are some who say the rainbow is not for them.

Community conversation “The reaction has been predictably mixed,” Smithers mayor Taylor Bachrach

says. “There’s been a robust community conversation about this over the past several months.”

That conversation became fairly heated at times, but Bachrach believes that having the issue discussed will ultimately result in stronger communities. “One of the positive aspects of this is that the crosswalk, because it’s a physical thing, has brought the conversation out into the open. I think that can only lead to positive things down the road.”

In Smithers, the idea first came up when a local woman, Anna Ziegler, sent a letter to the town suggesting it.

“We discussed the idea at council and decided it would be appropriate and would move our community forward,” Bachrach says. “We do all sorts of different things to recognize people in our community: we erect statues and monuments, we name streets after people, we make symbolic gestures that tell a story about the kind of community that we are and the kind of community we want to be. I see this as a part of that realm of municipal activity.”

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He says the crosswalk has prompted all kinds of Mark Penninga, a resident who has vocally responses. opposed the crosswalk, is the executive director “One of the most moving things for me has been of the Association for Reformed Political Action having parents of kids who grew (ARPA), a non-profit most often up in Smithers gay or lesbian associated with the Reformed or questioning their identity say, Church community.

‘This is such an important thing “We have to treat everybody we’re doing, because my kid with dignity, respect and love, grew up facing discrimination regardless of ethnicity, race, sex, and had to leave.’ Those kinds gender,” he says. “It’s so easy of comments suggest to me that to say that putting a crosswalk we’re moving in the right direcon Main Street accomplishes tion.” that, and I would say ‘yeah right.’

Treating people with dignity and Growing up love is a verb—it’s something you Perry Rath is a teacher at Smithers do, not just something you paint Secondary School and co-founder on a road. It’s just a symbol.” of the Gender Sexuality Alliance Opposition to LGBTQ (GSA), an advocacy and support symbolism is often based on group for high-school students. religious belief or a particular Taylor Bachrach “Last fall, the debate really worldview. Penninga says he polarized the community,” Rath believes the crosswalk promotes says. “Our LGBTQ youth have an ideology that is “harmful and been watching this unfold and hurtful” to people in the commuwe’ve talked about how it affects them. They feel nity. they are at the heart of the debate, but also feel on “I’m not saying the rainbow has no meaning,” the outside.” he continues. “What it does is it says we can Earlier this year, Rath and the GSA brought an define who we are when it comes to gender and educational organization called Out in Schools to sex, and there’s a lot of people, myself included, Smithers. The group teaches about gender idenwho say, ‘No, we don’t define who we are, we are tity and acceptance through interactive presentamade a certain way, we are designed.’ I believe we tions and short films. One video made by a Lower are created. We are made by someone who knew Mainland student ends with the words, “I am me, what He was doing, and that’s something we have and that’s all that matters.” The message is pretty to celebrate.” simple: tolerance, acceptance, empathy, underPenninga stresses that he does not agree with standing. discriminatory behaviour toward those who idenMatt Peeters, a grade 12 student and member of tify as LGBTQ, but still opposes the crosswalk. the GSA, says he’s looking forward to seeing the “You hear a lot of terms like ‘diversity’ or that rainbow crosswalk. “It promotes awareness,” he it promotes respect,” he explains. “What do they says. “And it really shows that the roots of unacmean when they talk about diversity? Who gets ceptance aren’t OK anymore.” to define a concept like that? Diversity has limits.

Bachrach agrees: “I want young people to know How far does that extend? Who does the crossthat wherever they fall on the spectrum, Smithers walk actually include?” is a place they can call home, and it’s not someBachrach’s answer: everyone. where they have to leave,” he says. “There are a lot “At the heart of the symbolism of the rainbow of youth who have found Smithers not welcoming crosswalk is people should feel safe to be who and have left for other communities. And those they are,” he says. “That’s an idea that extends folks have tons to contribute to our community.” to everyone in our community, regardless of their ethnicity, religion or sexual identity.”

At the heart of the symbolism of the rainbow crosswalk is people should feel safe to be who they are.

Colourful communities Public art can mean a lot of different things to different people. Maybe the crosswalk is just a cheerful splash of colour to some, while for others it’s an important symbol of acceptance. Does it express an ideology and single out a particular group of people? Sure, but so does the Wet’suwet’en carving at Smithers’ Bovill Square.

“We wanted to acknowledge the Wet’suwet’en members of our community,” Bachrach says of the carving. “I think it’s added to our downtown and I see tourists taking pictures of it all the time. It’s a statement about our community; it tells a story about who we are.”

He says the rainbow crosswalk falls into the same category. Penninga argues that the town is using its position of authority to impose this ideology.

“It’s not the role of the municipal government to make minority groups feel like they are not discriminated against,” he says. “It’s not the role of the municipal government to make people feel included.”

In response, Bachrach says he feels that that is one of the most important roles of municipal government.

“The ultimate goal is to make our community a place that is free of discrimination,” he says. “Helping people feel at home and helping people feel safe lie at the core of community and as community leaders we have a responsibility to make sure both of those things are true for everyone who lives here.

“We are going to be strongest if we welcome diversity and are as inclusive as possible,” he continues. “We want people to come and make this community their home, and to do cool stuff here: do art, create businesses, raise families. In my mind, the wider the range of diverse people we can attract to come be Smithereens, the more resilient we’re going to be and ultimately the more successful we’re going to be as a community.”

Does a rainbow crosswalk achieve all this? Time will tell. And in the meantime, whatever it means, hopefully these colourful crosswalks makes daily life a little more cheerful and crossing the street a bit more fun.

N

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column

Top Culture

Mapping My Way Home: Neil J. Sterritt’s book explores Gitxsan place on the land and in history Gitx san Natio n m em ber N ei l J .

Sterritt is an im por tan t v oi ce in the f ig ht f o r gov er n m en t reco g nitio n o f F i r s t N ati on s ’ rig h ts an d ti tl e.

N e i l St e r r i t t ’s M ap p i n g M y Way H o m e : A G i t x s an H i s t o r y ( C re e ks t o n e Pre s s ) documents the history of the Canadian and BC governments’ re f u s a l t o a d d re s s indigenous rights and title.

Among the land-knowledge holders of northern BC, Neil J. Sterritt is a central one, both culturally and geographically.

Sterritt is Gitxsan, is a member of Fireweed (Giskaast) Clan, House of Gitluudaahlxw, and was the president of the Gitxsan-Wet’suwet’en Tribal Council from 1981 to 1987. Much of his work has been upholding aboriginal and Gitxsan rights, especially in the precedent-setting 1997 Supreme Court of Canada case Delgamuukw v. BC, which led to his part of the creation of the book Tribal Boundaries in the Nass Watershed (UBC Press 1999).

His new book, Mapping My Way Home: A Gitxsan History (Creekstone Press), continues to document the history of the Canadian and BC governments’ refusal to address indigenous title and rights for much of the 20th century.

At the book’s outset, a reader encounters clear signals that this is a counter-history; along with a variety of territory maps, there are family trees and creation stories featuring Wiigyet, a figure Sterritt describes as closely resembling the TlingitHaida trickster Raven, but with some differences: Wiigyet was “caught between spirit and flesh. He was no man, yet all men.” Further, Wiigyet is located on and by territory: I have been fortunate to work with many elders over the past four decades who have pointed out place names arising from Wiigyet’s adventures, thus connecting the moral map contained within Wiigyet stories with actual landmarks on the physical map of Gitxsan territories.

Much of the book is about the world of Sterritt’s ancestors and the community in which he grew up. His accounts range from the founding of Gitanmaax, Kispiox and Hagwilget to the arrival of the fur trade, mining and missionaries, up to recent oil pipeline threats.

Throughout, the importance of maps and mapmaking is emphasized. Sterritt’s work to establish and defend Gitxsan territory is monumental; in a culture so tied to land, his efforts have maintained the identity of the Gitxsan houses. But these maps are both literal territory maps and maps of identity that are personal and figurative.

His accounts of family, community and culture

u at the Festival! o y e e S

c re e ks to ne pre s s

rbudde@shaw.ca

ke rs tin s tyc he , AIAT SIS

by Rob Budde

are valuable documents of colonization’s nature and its effects on where we (settler and Gitxsan) live. In his opening chapter, Sterritt maps out an example of this contact zone: A casual visitor could be forgiven for assuming Hazelton is larger than thirteen acres. Gitanmaax and Hazelton appear to be one community with the reserve boundary bordering the town’s. On the side of the road by our house stood St. Peter’s Anglican Church.

Nearby, overlooking Hazelton and the church, stood Gidumgaldo’s totem pole. The pole and the church symbolize very different histories, customs, values and beliefs. Gidumgaldo’s totem pole was carved and erected in 1881; St. Peter’s Church was built twenty years later. Gidumgaldo’s long house once stood behind the pole. My grandfather, Charlie Sterritt, was born there, in Gidumgaldo’s house, in 1885.

Sterritt’s goals are to map his people’s territory, to “work directly with the simgiiget (Gitxsan Chiefs) and identify and map the historical territories of the Gitxsan houses so they would be preserved for all time.” Like a counter-history, a counter-colonial map is an assertion of what has been erased, what has been oppressed and what social justice would rightfully restore.

Sterritt ends the book with a glossary and pronunciation guide—the Gitxsan language, like the land, is a crucial lifeline to the Gitxsan people: the language-story-land that spells home.

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No semi-precious stones, but still a hidden gem

by Morga n H it e morga njh@bulkley.ne t • m ore m a ps a t bvt ra i l m a ps. c a

The valley of Silvern Creek cuts deliciously into the heart of a mountain knot just west of Smithers, a knot that consists of Hudson Bay Mountain, Mount Evelyn, Hankin Peak and the mysterious Turquoise Range. Hikers going up the Silvern Lakes trail find themselves going up this valley and skirting around the lower reaches of the back, or west side, of Hudson Bay Mountain while rocky pinnacles tower above.

Yet looking across Silvern Creek to the west, the other side of the valley is just a friendly-looking, flat-topped, grassy ridge. It seems like there is a lot of gentle alpine terrain up there. How do we get there? That’s what I wanted to know the first time I saw it.

In fact, there is a trail. This ridge, which reaches down from the heights of the Turquoise Range, has been informally named Opal Ridge and a trail goes up its southeast nose. It is no paragon of carefully constructed grade—that’s just a nice way of saying it goes straight uphill—but it will get you there and the complex alpine area on top is delightful to explore.

There are some seriously beautiful small lakes hidden away between the folds of the ridge.

Leaving Smithers on the ski hill road, or Hudson Bay Mountain Road, turn left on the McDonell Forest Service Road some 13.7 km out of Smithers. This is the McDonell km 0. Pass the turnoffs on the right for the Duthie West trailhead (at km 9) and the Silvern Lakes trailhead (just before km 10) in favour of another unsigned, unnamed road on the right just before KM 11.

Once you’ve turned, you’ll pass a dead car on your right and continue for over a kilometre, passing through old cutblocks until the road becomes undrivable. Park here and continue walking on the same road, which eventually turns into a trail and begins ascending.

It takes about an hour and 20 minutes to ascend the 600 m to treeline. Mark carefully where you come out of the forest because the ridgetop hosts all sorts of interesting mini-ridges and valleys of

its own, and when returning it can be tricky to find the trail or spot that unique tree where you think it begins.

There are some seriously beautiful small lakes hidden away between the folds of the ridge.

As well, you can follow the main ridge north and, after passing through a narrow neck, ascend the Turquoise Range.

Opals, turquoise—the truth is, it’s not likely you’ll find any of these semi-precious stones here. The rock is mostly the same friable, maroon, purple or grey volcanics that Hudson Bay Mountain is made of.

(The real name of this rock is the Telkwa Formation.) Nonetheless, as on Hudson Bay Mountain, there are patches of the beautiful, blocky, whitish intrusive granodiorites called Bulkley Plutonic Suite. Hunt around! You never know what you will find.

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column

Ba rom eter

Free trees and wild bees

Those wild bees do excellent work.

Such nice neighbours!

by C h a rlyn n To ews edit or ial@no rt hwo rd. c a

In the olden days, I used to double-dig my small garden every Victoria Day weekend. The top layer of sod, as deep as my skinny Barbie-doll arms and spade could reach, covered over with crabgrass and dandelions, was set aside. The second layer came out with much effort, and then the top layer was placed weed-down on the bottom of the pit.

The second layer was laid on top and broken up with much sweat, some swearing and frequent cold-drink breaks.

Then I saw the light: I found lasagna gardening and I have been a follower and proselytizer ever since. You do not dig or till in the spring because you have added more layers of grass clippings, leaves and so forth the previous fall. These nicely compost in situ.

This is one of the ecosystem services I use regularly. The service of formation of soils and soil fertility that sustains crop and st livestock production (and my little vegetable garden) depends on the processes of decomposition and nutrient cycling by soil micro-organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, as well as bugs and worms.

So, I say thank you to the actinomycetes! And these decomposers say to me, “No, thank you—we love digesting tough plant tissues like the cellulose in bark, paper and stems, as well as the hard exoskeletons of insects!”

I have, over the years, added more material to the north so that the garden slopes south and I cover the mulchy top compost with dark organic Sea Soil, and I never knew exactly why until Norma Kerby (“Sunny Slopes,” Northword, April-May 2016) told me in the last issue. It seems I am cleverly using the ecosystem service of our northern sun: It hits us at an angle too low for flat land, but perfect for southernsloping gardens. Thank you, northern sun!

Another ecosystem service I am offered every spring is free trees—the maple growing against the fence gifted me with me about 87 seedlings this season. That is a kind offer, but thanks to

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my wormy aerated soil, it is easy to pluck them out of the garden.

Mother Maple is herself a free tree, with Grandma in my neighbour’s front yard.

The most important ecosystem service any of us use is wild bees.

Lora Morandin from Simon Fraser University did a study of canola pollination in the Peace River areas where canola farmers rely on wild bees; they do not rent domesticated bees for the pollination period. Farmers who planted 100 percent of their fields earned about $27,000 in profit in the study area, whereas those who left 33 percent unmanaged (full of flowering plants—“weeds”— for the wild bees) earned around $65,000—the difference being an increased number of wild bees happily enjoying the weeds while pollinating the canola. Those wild bees do excellent work. Such nice neighbours!

Bees evolved from wasps about 125 million years ago (thank you flowering plants!), co-evolving so that one bee’s bits fit nicely into one or more flower’s bits. The flowering plants that need winged pollinators (30 percent of crops and 90 percent of wild plants) say to the bees, “Thanks for taking our pollen from one flower to another, because, we are, like, totally rooted in the ground here and can’t move.”

And the bees say, “No, thank you for the nectar we make food out of for the children back home and for the pollen that provides us with protein.”

And the humans say, “No, thank you, flowers and bees, because we enjoy eating apples, onions, avocados, beans, beets, buckwheat, cherries, cucumbers, raspberries (and 80 other foods) and we really like a nice cup of coffee.”

My mulchy composted vegetable garden no longer hosts dandelions, but my lawn full of dandeN

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