Northword - The Space Issue

northword

ISSUE NO. 73

magazine

eternal

creative

spaces

MAY/JUNE 2018

secret

spaces

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THE SPACE ISSUE

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FREE

At NWCC your classroom is connected to place—to rich cultures, rugged landscapes and breathtaking vistas.

Our field schools combine a full semester of learning into just a few weeks. Register today!

Sense of Place: Gitga’at Territory Seaweed Camp Prince Rupert & Hartley Bay • May 14 - 26

Rainforests and Coastal Communities Terrace & Prince Rupert • July 3 - 13 *Reserved for high school students.

Kitsumkalum Terrace • May 26 - June 9

People of the Skeena Terrace & Hazelton • August 7 - 14

Permaculture Design Prince Rupert • June 11 - 27

Stewart/Telegraph Creek Terrace & Stewart • August 13 - 31

Criminal Justice Terrace • June 11 - 29

Open minds.

Open spaces.

nwcc.ca/field-schools 2 May/June 2018

stas.

COVER CONTEST!

Find the in the cover photo for a chance to win a Northword mug!

Email contest@northword.ca with your best guess. Correct entries will be entered into a draw & the winner announced July 3.

ON THE COVER There are few better ways to get a sense of space than watching the sunrise from the peak of Sleeping Beauty, Haida Gwaii. Photo by Joseph Crawford.

LAST ISSUE The N was hidden in the inside of the car, viewer’s top left.

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest!

Keep up with us in the digital world.

On the web, we’re at northword.ca & you can find us on both Facebook and Instagram.

Legalities and limitations Copyright © 2018. 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.

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ORIGINAL INFOGRAPHIC by Jan Diehm for The Huffington Post SOURCES: Studies by University of Illinois, University of California at Los Angeles, University of Oslo, Colorado State University, University of Pennsylvania, Ball State University, Harvard University, Charité-University Medical Center, Boston University, West Virginia University, University College of Medical Sciences in new Delhi, Temple University, Dr. Loren Fishman, Alan Kristal of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Integral Health Clinic in India ILLUSTRATIONS: Shutterstock

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DISCOVER British columbia’s WILD & BEAUTIFUL nOrthwest CoasT Prince Rupert is a vibrant town where nature, history, and personalities are larger than life.

Legendary sport fishing, exceptional wildlife viewing, attractions that bring the coast’s ancient aboriginal culture and pioneer heritage alive, and the urban pleasure of good restaurants, fascinating shops, and colourful neighborhoods make Prince Rupert the ideal choice for a family vacation, a corporate retreat, or a solo getaway.

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CONTENTS ISSUE NO. 73 | MAY/JUNE 2018

9 EDITOR’S NOTE FIRSTWORDS 13 Haida Gwaii Housing 15 Saltwater Hank 16 The Economic Expanse

FEATURES 18 Eternal Spaces Cemeteries have stories to tell about people, places, culture.

These are spaces where we go to interact with the dead and what we do there and what we leave for the deceased can provide insight into who we are and who we were. But will cemeteries always be relevant? Or will we look to alternative ways to cross the River Styx?

by Britta Boudreau

35 TRAIL MAP Ptarmigan Mountain BACKWORDS

37 Good Egg Records 38 Dirty Windshields LAST WORD

43 Eulachon, by Brodie Guy

22 The Barn Some spaces are legendary. Like this one. It looks like a barn, it smells like a barn—it is a barn. But this barn has a secret hidden in its loft. photos by Marty Clemens, words by Matt J. Simmons

30 Creative Space Whatever we create, the environment we are in leaves an imprint on our work. Many artists crave isolation during the creative process, but some encourage outsiders to interrupt and even influence the direction of the pieces. Six northern BC artists discuss their creative spaces and what makes them so significant to the work they produce.

by Jo Boxwell

Camping near Nonda Ridge, Northeast BC. Photo by Ryan Dickie, winterhawkstudios.com.

May/June 2018

7

northword magazine

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

National Advertising sandra@northword.ca

CONTRIBUTORS Britta Boudreau, Jo Boxwell, Marty Clemens, Joseph Crawford, Ryan Dickie, Facundo Gastiazoro, Brodie Guy, Morgan Hite, Guy Kimola, David McTavish, Dan Mesec, Kara Sievewright, Allison Smith, Jeremy Stewart

Joseph Crawford is an outdoor and

DISTRIBUTORS Ainsley Brown, Frances Riley, Richard Haley, Jen Harvey

Sandra Smith

underwater photographer and filmmaker based on Haida Gwaii. See more of his work at braidfilms.com.

Facundo Gastiazoro spends his days in Smithers expressing his art by painting murals, creating animations, producing videos, illustrating concepts. His illustrations are featured in every issue of Northword.

Brodie Guy has worked in conservation and community development in the North for over ten years. He dreams of his children growing up deeply connected to the wonders he’s been blessed to encounter across the North’s remarkable landscapes.

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

David McTavish is a Smithers-based valley dweller who likes things that make noise, especially if there are buttons and knobs involved.

Daniel Mesec is currently a Local News Fellow with The Discourse. He calls the Bulkley Valley home and as a journalist has covered everything from Tahltan blockades to wild salmon runs on Babine Lake.

Kara Sievewright is an artist and writer

living in Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii as a settler on Haida territory. You can see more of her work at makerofnets.ca.

8 May/June 2018

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Matt J. Simmons NATIONAL SALES/AD DESIGN Sandra Smith CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Amanda Follett Hosgood ILLUSTRATORS Facundo Gastiazoro & Hans Saefkow

ADVERTISING SALES Sandra Smith, sandra@northword.ca Matt J. Simmons, matt@northword.ca DISTRIBUTION We distribute 10,000 copies six times a year to over 300 locations in more than 30 communities across northern BC, reaching over 30,000 readers. To request copies at your retail/ public location, send an email to ads@northword.ca.

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. Subscriptions make great gifts!

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 Discourse Media, Tourism Smithers, Ryan at winterhawkstudios.com, Guy Kimola, and our fearless team of proofreaders.

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

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

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

EDITOR’S NOTE

Look up from this page for a second. What do you see? Rattle off a quick list—a person perhaps, your toes curled in the spring grass, that shelf of books as yet unread, soft steam rising from a cup of coffee.

Okay, that’s what’s there. Now look at what’s not there—negative space, the space between. Here’s what I see: all the shapes formed by the gaps between the branches of the trees outside. Ragged triangles and imperfect quadrangles. As these spaces cascade backwards into the distance, getting smaller and tighter, my eyes approach an obscure horizon and finally settle on stripes of colour—the blue and white of sky and cloud.

Empty space gives solidity its oomph. Without the absence of something, its presence is meaningless.

The idea of paying attention to negative space is one taught to aspiring artists, architects, and other engineers of aesthetics. In Japanese, the idea is represented by the word ma (間), which roughly translates to the interval between things—space.

Its meanings are many and used in thousands of iterations, from describing the silence between notes in music to something as simple as double-spacing a document.

It’s one of those words that would make the English language much richer if it had an equivalent. One of the key concepts that inform many of its uses is that negative space is as important to the essence of a thing as the actual substance itself.

Because space matters. In urban environments—streets, sidewalks, plazas, parking lots—negative space is everywhere. And not just in the sense of absence.

Much of the concrete landscape is utilitarian, practical, ugly. Skateboarders look at things differently. A metal post planted in a sidewalk to prevent vehicle access is just something to walk around for most. To a skateboarder it’s a feature, something to play with.

It’s all about perspective. And that positive way of taking back an otherwise negative, or empty space is something we can all learn from. Looking at the world through the eyes of a skateboarder or urban biker is fun. Everything becomes an opportunity. Nothing is wasted or without purpose.

Look up and you’ll see negative space really isn’t negative at all.

— Matt J. Simmons

May/June 2018

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FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

BRITTA BOUDREAU

JEREMY STEWART

ALLISON SMITH

MARTY CLEMENS

JO BOXWELL

Jeremy Stewart Jeremy Stewart won the 2014 Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry for Hidden City (Snare Books/Invisible Publishing). He is also the author of (flood basement (Caitlin Press, 2009). His work has appeared in Canadian Literature, Geist, Lemon Hound, PRISM International, Open Letter, and elsewhere. Born and raised in Prince George, Stewart is the General Manager of City Opera Vancouver. He once dropped a piano off a building.

Marty Clemens Marty Clemens is from the Sunshine Coast but has since drifted inland and a little farther north—he now calls the beautiful Bulkley Valley home. When he’s not working as a freelance videographer and photographer, you can find Marty scrambling his way up into the alpine or down by the river working on his cast. Check out more of Marty’s work at martyclemens.com or come say what up at his studio, 3839 Second Ave. in Smithers.

Britta Boudreau Britta Boudreau writes creative non-fiction, dabbles in photography, and is currently working on a novel. She is a fishing enthusiast, an avid camper, and a huge fan of road trips. Northern BC road trip highlights include photographing a spirit bear, watching grizzlies catch salmon at Meziadin, and roaming the tidal pools of Haida Gwaii. She lives in Prince George.

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.

Allison Smith Allison Smith is a writer and filmmaker living and working on Haida Gwaii. She combines her background in community economic development with her love of creative storytelling, showcasing immersive stories of nature, mental health, women’s empowerment and community.

She’s always up to learn something new, especially over a game of crib and a cup of coffee. Find her on Instagram: @allisonjoannesmith or braidfilms.com.

May/June 2018

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FIRSTWORDS

HAIDA GWAII HOUSING Addressing the Queen Charlotte housing crisis

Everyone in Queen Charlotte has a housing

years, even though the population is declining. Fewer homes are available for rent or for sale, and more dwellings are sitting visibly empty for large portions of the year. Many are in need of major repairs before being livable. Nearly everyone has a rodent or mould story, or both.

“It’s the same issues as the Lower Mainland,” says Kim Claggett, member of the Queen Charlotte Heritage Housing Society (QCHHS). “Airbnb, people buying houses that sit unoccupied, people getting pushed out based on affordability, homelessness.”

Haida Gwaii is an attractive place to live and vacation. Properties are being purchased by off-island buyers with deep pockets, willing to pay a premium for land or a recreational property. And as more

and more tourists come to Haida Gwaii every year, accommodation options dwindle. Private rentals are being converted to Airbnb, with 39 listings in Queen Charlotte as of April 2018, 20 of which are entire homes. With no bylaws to regulate Airbnb, it’s a balancing act between the rights of private owners and the needs of the community. “There’s lots of talk about regulations, but I’m not sure what exactly the municipality can do,” says Claggett.

Then there’s the issue of employee housing. Housing has become a major determinant in attracting and maintaining qualified staff and young families. Some employers aid in finding or supplying housing to staff.

But the common misconception is that these homes are sitting empty and could be made available to the

illustration: kara sievewright

story. It has become a conversation at nearly every dinner party, community meeting and on every flight to YVR. Rentals are scooped up by word of mouth before hitting the market. Buyers are knocking on doors, asking homeowners if they’d consider selling. Friends are opening up their their lawns and driveways to those willing to camp. Elderly residents are living in long-term care at the hospital. And then there’s the invisible homeless, staying in vulnerable situations because there is no other safe, affordable option.

But those who have lived here for most of their lives say it hasn’t always been this way.

Housing has become a growing concern in recent

May/June 2018

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FIRSTWORDS

“We are creative, innovative people. We can find a solution.

We can put people in houses.”

public. Although government agencies own or lease a total of 44 dwellings in Queen Charlotte, only four of them are currently vacant. All four are expected to be filled with new staff in the next few months.

“This isn’t surprising,” says Claggett. “But,” she adds, “the amount of invisible homelessness in our community is. The people with the least resources, that are already living in vulnerable situations are experiencing the biggest impact.”

Lack of affordable housing amplifies other challenges in low-income individuals’ lives— employment, social networks, and health. It perpetuates a feeling of hopelessness. According to the 2016 census, 19 percent of Queen Charlotte residents are in the core housing need, meaning they spend 30 percent or more of their income on shelter costs, but the actual number could be higher.

To address the need, several societies in Queen Charlotte offer support and housing options. QCHHS operates the Heritage House, a subsidized 10-unit building for seniors or residents with disabilities or low-income. QCHHS also rents three single-family homes to low-income families and owns a small office

building they are hoping to convert to affordable housing suites. Funding is the key and QCHHS will lose its government subsidy for Heritage House in 2021.

This past winter, QCHHS took the first step in addressing this, conducting a Needs and Demands Assessment for the Village of Queen Charlotte. “Now we’re presenting the Needs and Demands to BC Housing to leverage funds to convert the office building to affordable suites,” Claggett explains.

“Though the timeline on this is unknown.”

In early April, QCHHS also held an islands-wide forum to share concerns and discuss community-led solutions. Speakers presented different housing solutions in their respective communities, such as co-op housing on Tow Hill and a transition house in Masset. Other solutions discussed included a Queen Charlotte housing coordinator, a south-end transition house, and a housing/empty house strategy.

“The solutions are not simple, but we are a small community, and we have the power of community,” says Claggett. “I’m an optimist. We are creative, innovative people. We can find a solution. We can put people in houses.”

— Allison Smith

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FIRSTWORDS

THE ECONOMIC EXPANSE

Making sense of the shifting Northwest economy is no small task

As the sun begins to

fade on a chilly afternoon in Terrace, the regular crowd shuffles in to Sherwood Mountain Brewery for a post-work pint. The brewery has become the spot for drink and dialogue about all things. Today the topic of discussion hovers around jobs and the economy, which after years of boom and bust, seems to be back on the upswing.

I take a seat on the patio at the end of a long cedar table next to three young men and begin to ask them how they’re feeling about the current state of the local economy. At first the conversation is pretty positive:

everyone is working, an epic ski season has just come to an end, and people can hardly wait for the spring weather to arrive. But there is clearly tension when the discussion shifts to the possibility of another major industrial boom.

Historically, the massive expanse of northwest BC has been a hub for resource extraction projects, mainly forestry and mining. More recently the north coast has been eyed by LNG producers who want to pipe fracked gas from wells in the Northeast to export terminals in Kitimat and Prince Rupert. It’s a

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contentious issue for many, and it doesn’t take long for the topic to come up.

“The natural gas industry up here is pretty crazy about all the projects they’re trying to pass through,” says Andy Leighton, a second year nursing student at the University of Northern British Columbia’s Terrace campus.

“I think it’s important to protect industry to a certain extent, but we also need to transition towards more renewable resources, especially when markets aren’t necessarily going to stay,” he adds.

My discussion with Leighton and others on the brewery patio is part of a listening tour I’ve been doing over the past couple months in collaboration with The Discourse, a journalism company based in Vancouver.

I’m trying to get a sense of what locals think about the economy in the Northwest—the concerns they have and the opportunities they see emerging.

As the conversation deepens, a heated debate between two patrons breaks out; it’s clear the issue of LNG is a polarizing one. Leighton and his friends don’t see exporting gas as a viable option for the Northwest. They say it’s too environmentally risky.

But others at the table don’t agree and argue that if LNG projects do move ahead, the region would benefit through direct and indirect job prospects, as well as through revenue invested back into the regional economy.

Despite their opposing views, everyone remains friendly and all seem to agree on one thing: there are plenty of jobs to be had right now.

May/June 2018

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FIRSTWORDS

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says it was a toss up between Victoria and Smithers.

Although the opportunities for higher wages were more plentiful in Victoria, the draw to a northern lifestyle was more appealing and pushed her to find creative ways to make a living.

“Our resource economy is still strong and there’s opportunity for sustainable and reasonable growth, so that’s good as a stability marker, but what gives me hope is there are still so many ideas that haven’t come to fruition.”

Smithers seems to be a special case. Although the town of around 5,000 hasn’t seen significant growth in almost 50 years, it has done a reasonable job at diversifying its economy. Main Street is full of boutiques and coffee houses; West Fraser operates a sawmill that employs around 200 people; it’s a hub for government and health services; and the community is right in the heart of steelhead-fishing paradise.

All of this—and more—contributes to a diversified community. According to the 2016 census, employment in Smithers is spread over multiple industries, giving the town a better chance at weathering the storm in an economic downturn.

In the Bulkley Valley, the current economic outlook is positive and several industrial and infrastructure projects are on the go or in the works. But the strength of the local economy continues to be rooted in innovation and entrepreneurship. If the Northwest is to remain a prosperous region, we have to work together. For Allan Stroet, the former Bulkley Valley Economic Development officer, that means supporting each other in all our economic endeavours.

“The economy in northwest BC can’t be defined by one thing, but it’s also defined by everything,” Stroet says. “It’s cultures and subcultures, but it always boils down to the people. We’re forced to stick together.”

— Daniel Mesec

Daniel Mesec is currently a Local News Fellow with The Discourse. During the coming weeks and months, he will be visiting several other communities in the Northwest in the hopes of speaking to as many people as possible about what they think of the economy and what stories are missing from current news coverage.

How do we ensure economic strength and diversity throughout all northern communities, across all economic sectors? What kind of economic development do you want to see in your community? For updates, questions, or ideas to help Dan with his reporting, connect on Facebook or email him at danielmesec@gmail.com.

photo: contributed

“I don’t know anyone that is looking for a job and can’t find one,” Leighton says. “All my friends that are looking for jobs find one pretty quickly. They just have to work outside of their regular work environment.”

This is a notion that seems to be coming up again and again, that the best way to build a diverse local economy is to diversify your skills so you can adapt to a fluctuating labour market.

“I would still define the Northwest as a resourceheavy and resource-rich economy,” says Liliana Dragowska, a community planning consultant based in Smithers. “But there’s this other element of a creative economy that’s not so focused on big dollars, but drives so many individuals to keep the lifestyle they want and keep living in these communities.”

When Dragowska was planning a move to BC, she

photo: dan mesec

Above: Large resource operations, like Red Chris Mine, near Dease Lake, make up a significant portion of the northern economy. Previous page: Balancing resource, tourism, and other industries, Smithers has a fairly diverse economy.

FIRSTWORDS

SALTWATER HANK Getting back to the bluegrass basics

Saltwater Hank has reached

the other salt water. It’s a long way from home, but it’s the next leg of a long, grand journey for singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Pahl.

Pahl is in Cape Breton, on tour with Prince George’s Danny Bell.

Pahl and Bell have logged many miles on the road together; both are former members of Prince George folk sensations Black Spruce Bog. Tonight, they’re playing in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia. “East Coast audiences are different,” says Pahl, contrasting their listening habits with those of laid-back West Coast crowds. “They sit watching you in total silence and it’s hard to read them until after the song is done, and then they clap and you can tell they’re really into it.”

This leg of the tour included a few tiny “house shows,” which come with their share of after-show jamming with locals. Pahl and Bell particularly enjoyed one that featured “insane fiddlers” playing “crazy Irish chord progressions,” which no doubt fuel the restless music appetites of these chroniclers, song collectors, and troubadours.

As well as being a great journey across Canada, the tour is also in support of the new, debut Saltwater Hank album, Stories from the Northwest, which has been drawing praise from audiences and publications across the country. The songs that make up the album showcase Pahl’s deep roots in northwest BC, from the style to the lyrical themes to the unusual recording technique.

That recording style is perhaps antithetical to the manicured, autotuned sound of today’s pop music machine, but was once standard for bluegrass bands and other ensembles: one ribbon microphone in the midst of the group, with players moving towards the mic as they take a solo, stepping back into a careful arrangement to balance the volume.

When it’s pointed out that this approach requires considerable musical skill and ensemble cohesion, at first Pahl just laughs. With characteristic modesty, he concedes that many of the players on the recording have played together a great deal, including support from Bell, fellow Black Spruce Bog alumnus Amy Blanding, and Prince George alt-country/folk chanteuse Naomi Kavka.

Who is Saltwater Hank? “Hank is my dad,” says Pahl, who also had a beloved great uncle by that name. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a Hank.” And now he is one. The Saltwater part of the moniker is from the Pacific—Pahl was born in Price Rupert and spent his early childhood near or on those waters, as a Tsimshian and member of the Gitga’at community.

Country music, including that of Hank Williams Sr., just as deeply suffused Pahl’s childhood, often played around a fire, where his dad and

grandfather would jam in the big circle. Pahl’s grandfather played dances in Prince Rupert from the 1960s on, bringing a Western swing sound to the people.

Pahl also grew up partly in Chilliwack, where as a teenager he discovered punk rock, skateboarding, and black metal. “I saw [Vancouver punk legends] D.O.A. when I was 14,” Pahl says. He also mentions seeing other punk luminaries like the Dayglo Abortions and the Evaporators. He found his way back to the North as an older teen, when he moved to Burns Lake to start a metal band with his cousin. That band was named Gyibaaw (roughly pronounced gah-bow, with the second syllable like a tree bough, and near equal syllabic emphasis). Gyibaaw is the word for “wolf” in Sm’algyax, the Tsimshian language; true to this spirit, the band blended elements of black metal with the sounds of traditional Indigenous instruments. Pahl and the band would go on to tour South America.

A similar spirit of complex inhabitation of music and Indigenous identity lights up Pahl’s forthcoming Saltwater Hank project: an album of songs in the Saltwater Hank style, combining Western swing, bluegrass, and other country and folk styles, with all the lyrics in Sm’algyax, the Tsimshian language. Pahl says this remarkable idea “came out of the ether.”

This project is funded by a federal grant and involves Pahl going back and forth with the Tsimshian language-keeper to ensure that grammar and pronunciation are correct. Speaking to the ambition of this unique project, Pahl anticipates some of his learning to complete the work.

“There are a lot of different sounds, guttural sounds, glottal stops,” he says. The plan is to record this record the same way he did the debut Saltwater Hank album, with just one microphone and multiple musicians.

This summer, Pahl will perform as Saltwater Hank across BC (among other places) at indie venues and summer music festivals, including the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival.

— Jeremy Stewart

V i s i t the N a s s photo: contributed

photo: dan mesec

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

Hours & Info:

WWW.NISGAAMUSEUM.CA or 250-633-3050

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E t e r n a l S p a c e s

by Britta Boudreau photos by Guy Kimola

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T

he silence is penetrating. I am walking down Cemetery Road on the mist-shrouded archipelago of Haida Gwaii, surrounded by Sitka spruce that stretch upward to form a canopy that little light filters through. Behind me is the Delkatla Wildlife Sanctuary. Ahead lies Cemetery Beach, where I’m headed on a hunt for agates. To my right, enclosed by a low wooden fence and a roofed gateway, is the Masset Cemetery.

I pause. I’m not a fan of cemeteries and reminders of death but this one—nestled into the forest and covered in moss—intrigues me. I unlatch the gate and slip inside.

The cemetery sits at the feet of trees that have stood for decades, a living shield that protects the graves below from the ocean wind and salty spray.

The silence deepens; the cemetery demands reverence.

The graves are laid with treasures of the sea. I wander among them, my footsteps silenced by the moss that blankets the ground and crawls up weathered wooden crosses. Piles of agates spill over at the base of headstones. Markers are covered with clam shells. Japanese glass fishing f loats, mounds of sand dollars, snail and scallop shells have all been offered up in tribute.

These are the graves of sailors and captains. Of fishermen whose blood runs thick with salt. This place tells the story of how they lived. And that is the power of cemeteries. Each one has its own unique personality and each one can teach us about the people, place and culture of the region.

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STORIES FROM BEYOND Eric Lennert is a gardener and landscaper for the City of Terrace. His job includes maintaining the city’s cemetery. An astute observer of the people and environment around him, he says people tend to leave things that were favourites of the deceased.

“You see lots of treats, lots of chocolate bars. Sometimes you find a beer. Solar-powered lights are a popular item. Children get a lot of gifts. Stuffed animals. Small little trinkets like toy trucks.”

Every cemetery is different. Coins are left for good luck, a tradition that can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks who placed a coin in the mouth of the dead as payment to the ferryman who transported souls across the River Styx to the world of the dead. Framed photos are popular. Helium balloons. Children’s toys. At Poet’s Corner in Boston’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, graves are covered with pens and pencils, paperbacks and letters. In Halifax, 121 people from the Titanic are buried, the graves arranged in the shape of a ship’s hull. Love letters adorn the grave marked J. Dawson that is mistakenly presumed to be the inspiration for the Leonardo DiCaprio character in the film. Each November, Canadian f lags dot the Prince George Cemetery to honour those who served and died.

Other more personal and intimate mementos provide a glimpse into the life of the deceased. At the Penny Community cemetery, where eleven people are buried in a patch of forest, a scrabble board sits ready at the base of a stone angel.

Lennert says these gifts “show that someone was there and someone was caring.”

And while intended as gifts for individuals, they also provide a glimpse into the lives of those buried and the larger culture of the region. They are an aspect of cemeteries that serves to create an outdoor museum, a connection to history.

Sharon Eastabrook is the Education Chair of the Bulkley Valley Genealogy Society and has been researching her family history for the past twenty years. She laughs easily, shares openly, and is passionate about genealogy. She’s also skilled at reading cemeteries and interpreting the tantalizing clues about the lives of those who are buried.

“Everywhere I go, I go to cemeteries,” she says. “I’ve always loved history. You just never know what you’re going to find where. I just walk through and read the headstones. Some of it is crazy. Like you know the guy had a dog ’cause that’s all it talks about.”

Eastabrook says some graves have a lot to tell. “The presence of a lamb will usually tell you right away that a child is buried there,” she says. “Often someone may have a symbol on their headstone if they were part of a fraternal organization or religious

affiliation, or another group.

“There’s a great headstone in Atlin,” she laughs.

“It reads: ‘Died from gunshot wounds. Mistaken for a bear.’”

DIGGING DEEP While the aesthetics of each cemetery varies, what’s below the ground is always the same.

Gordon Brown, Interim Manager of Engineering Operations for the District of Houston, has worked in cemeteries around the province for the past 25 years. I broach the delicate question cautiously, and ask if he’s been involved with digging a grave. He fires back his own question, asking me if I have ever witnessed a grave being dug. When I tell him no, he suggests I put it on my bucket list.

“Most people have never had the experience,” he says. “They’ve only seen it in movies. It doesn’t look like that. A lot of people don’t know you actually use machines. There’s a mechanical aspect to it. It’s not the old caretaker digging the grave—it’s done by a crew. That’s the biggest misconception people have.”

Lennert is also occasionally pressed into service as a grave digger. I ask him about the emotions that go along with digging a grave.

“It could be spooky if you didn’t have the right frame of mind going in,” he admits. “There’s a little tension when you are actually doing the work because you want to make sure you leave the people already in the ground there, while you put new people in. If you start digging in the wrong place you have a world of hurt on your hands.”

I ask if he has ever had a situation where a

neighbouring body was disturbed and he quickly replies no. He did have a situation though of opening a grave to bury a family member alongside the mother who had been buried forty years previous. Instead of her casket, all they found was a cement footing for a fence post that wasn’t supposed to be there. “Sometimes,” he says, “there are questions that can’t be answered.”

He pauses and his voice softens. “It’s emotional seeing children getting buried. That’s one I’ve had to take a step back from. Have my own private time.”

NO SPACE FOR OLD MEN When a cemetery plot is purchased, it’s not land that is bought but burial rights. Countries like the Netherlands and Germany rent plots for terms ranging from 10 to 30 years. When the lease is up, the plot can be re-used and rented for another body.

In Canada burial rights are sold in perpetuity and many cemeteries around the province are running out of space.

According to the Memorial Society of BC, “space constraints and environmental concerns are leading people to explore alternatives to traditional burial.” BC has the highest rate of cremations in Canada, and there are new trends exploring innovative ways to dispose of cremated remains.

The City of Terrace is exploring the idea of a scattering rose garden. “It’s a tough one because you have to have a certain type of plant that would take that much ash,” says Lennert.

“Human remains contain heavy metals. That’s why you can’t just spread them over anything.

There’s all sorts of different rules. We’re toxic after

we’re burnt.”

For the adventurous, the company Celestis offers memorial space f lights. A space shuttle carrying cremated remains is launched into orbit where it remains until it “re-enters the atmosphere, harmlessly vaporizing like a shooting star in final tribute.”

Or you can turn into a tree. Bios Urn claims to be the “world’s first biodegradable urn designed to convert you into a tree after life.” Certified by the Green Burial Council, the Bios Urn is designed so cremated ashes can be placed in the bottom of the urn—shaped similar to a disposable coffee cup— while growing medium and a seed are placed in the top. The company says the urn can be planted wherever it is legal to plant a tree.

THE END Maybe cemeteries will someday become irrelevant, but for now they remain a link from the living to the dead and a connection to history and culture.

Standing here in the Masset Cemetery I see stories, not death.

I step carefully to avoid walking over a grave and a yellow banana slug crawls over the ground in front of me. I take a few photos, whisper my thanks, and pick my way back over the mossy path.

As I close the gate behind me, it starts to rain.

Walking back along the road, protected by these old trees, I think about my own eventual end. And while I don’t think that burial is for me, a tree grown from my ashes would be an honourable legacy to leave the world when I depart. Perhaps a tree planted on the edge of a cemetery.

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the barn photos by Marty Clemens

T

he first thing is the goats and the sheep. They watch us approach, curious. The geese squawk and scatter as we get closer.

It’s a barn, alright. I’m not sure what I expected, but it definitely lives up to its name. Whitewashed stalls, poop in the straw, clucking chickens, animal smell. The current owner loves his animals and tells us the lower level of the barn was raided this year by a bloodthirsty marten. Most of his guinea fowl and dozens of chickens. He’d already trapped and released it after it killed one or two birds, but, he jokes dryly, someone must’ve given it his address.

The first time climbing the ladder is transcendental. Crossing from one world into another. All I can do, as my head pops out at f loor level is drop my jaw and then start grinning. It’s a basketball court. In a barn. And it is beautiful.

The story—sometimes thought of as legend—goes like this: courts in town are a commodity and shared between sports; needing a reliable place to practice, a basketball teacher teamed up with a student and avid player whose grandmother owned the barn. They asked; she agreed. It started with just ply wood, a backboard, a hoop. The hardwood f loor came later, but the soul of the place was already firmly embedded. A few generations of basketball players have since earned their chops playing three-on-three in the Barn, bats swooping through the rafters, a little boombox playing in the corner.

Barn rules are simple: no booze, no smoking, no drugs. Turn the lights off when you leave. Sweep the f loor. Always respect the property. Respect, period.

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Anyone can go, it’s always open. There’s separate parking and a path to access so you don’t have to bother the owner.

And when you’re in that space, it’s a bit like being in basketball church.

First, you’re quiet, but that doesn’t last long. Because you can’t help yourself—you lace up, grab a ball, and start shooting.

One player who grew up playing in the Barn recalls his first time. He was invited to go by some of the older kids. They could drive; he couldn’t, and he tagged along.

“They blocked literally every single shot I made that night,” he says.

“They kicked the living shit out of me.” But he kept going back, and in time got better.

“When you get a game going in there, you realize it’s a really small space.

The Barn turned me into a good basketball player.” Eventually he became the older kid, and he took the young guys out to school them. The whole thing was a sort of basketball rite of passage. And that spirit, of it being a place of pure basketball is what the space resonates with now.

In a lot of ways it’s a throwback to a different time. The honour system.

Older kids teaching their younger peers. The concept is simple, and good.

“It’s almost impossible to talk about it without being cheesy or using clichés. But it really is magical. There’s no other way to describe it.” He said it, not me. I’m trying to dodge it. He’s right, though. It is magical.

It’s the feeling you get in there. The squeak of sneakers on the polished f loor and the swish of the ball in the net. The goats and the geese. The inevitable smiles. All of it. This is the Barn.

—Matt J. Simmons

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c

reative space

by Jo Boxwell

Whatever we create, the environment we are in leaves an imprint on our work. Many artists crave isolation during the creative process, but some encourage outsiders to interrupt and even influence the direction of the pieces. Six northern BC artists discuss their creative spaces and what makes them so significant to the work they produce.

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1. BIRD’S PARADISE Bits of straw are scattered over the floor of the cabin that was once a dog kennel.

Antlers hang from the ceiling. When the space is deserted, mice have been known to scuttle across the old bones.

“Any time that something gets chewed, it’s part of the story,” Greg explains.

“There’s such a story behind an antler.”

The antler storage room breaks off into a smaller space: the workshop itself. It is a six-by-eight room with two large windows that allow the sunlight and shadows to enter. “Anything is possible in here. You just create what you imagine.” The shadows are important. They change the shape of the carvings depending on the direction of the light and the time of day. The sounds of the acreage seep in through the thin walls. The birds in particular draw the artist’s attention away from time to time.

Two Dremel tools hang from the workbench, capable of holding tiny dentistry bits. On the bench sits a piece called “The Adventure”. A bridge of matchsticks connects the branches of bone, and tiny winding staircases careen down the two thick trunks.

This is Greg’s workspace, and when he closes the door he chips away at individual artworks that will take him years to complete. But his large rural property is the space he calls his “last canvas”; the marked and groomed trails where lynx leave their prints, where he has built a pond, extensive gardens and a fine collection of rocks. He sculpts it for his daughter Madi, whom he calls Bird. The property will be hers one day. That’s why he calls it Bird’s Paradise.

theatre seats with a balcony and a wide, fixed stage, around which are lighting and sound systems controlled from a booth. Beyond the stage are wings for stagehands and actors to hover in anticipation of the next scene. The space morphs with every show that Theatre Northwest brings to Prince George, with actors travelling from across Canada to perform here.

The sets are central to the conversations that swirl around each show. Alice’s set was built on a curve, as though falling down a rabbit hole. “We were constantly building new aspects of it throughout the entire rehearsal process. It was very challenging, not as much for me because I was the one with all of the demands!” Jack’s team crafts maquettes (scale models of the sets) for every production. The maquette for Alice in Wonderland is one of two Jack keeps on his shelf.

An effective set isn’t necessarily a complex one. The set for The Secret Mask (Jack’s first show as director with Theatre Northwest) consisted of spinning cubes that displayed images. That decision was a reaction to the reputation Theatre Northwest had for building very elaborate sets. “When I arrived, that’s all people talked about.

It really helped in moving the conversation of art forward.”

At Theatre Northwest’s current home, the proximity of the audience to the stage allows for an intimacy that doesn’t exist in larger venues. “If an actor blinks, you can see that. You can see a twitch on the lip, you can see all the little details almost in a filmic quality. If we ever left this space we’d have to find something similar because that’s become our brand. It’s become what we do.”

Greg Bradacs is a pointillist and carver based in Prince George.

Jack Grinhaus is the Artistic Director of Theatre Northwest, based in Prince George.

2. TREADING THE BOARDS Buildings have their own stories. Jack’s space was once a bakery warehouse, but its former life is hidden beneath its new skin. The Main Space contains 220 tiered

3. A JOURNEY THROUGH THE HOUSE “I knew writers far more productive and accomplished than me who worked from their kitchen table with young children running through the room or whose living-

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photo: philomena hughes

Theatre Northwest’s space transforms for each show. Here, Jack Grinhaus’s play Hedda Noir (based on Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler) features a set designed by Brian Ball, lights by John Webber, and costumes by Jeff Chief.

photo: philomena hughes

4 5 6

room chair served as their only work space, but it didn’t change the fact that, for me, I had become dependent on a place that provided both space and solitude.”

When Donna moved to a rural farmhouse, the small room beside the kitchen didn’t provide the distraction-free environment she was used to. The space might have worked, except the room beside it was more of a business kitchen than a kitchen kitchen; a space that her husband Wayne invited his eco-tourist clients into. Movement, conversation and the grinding of the coffee machine pushed through the closed door, as did that sense that others were nearby, exacerbating the feeling of being locked in.

The attic was unfinished when they first examined it. Wayne couldn’t stand up in it at its highest point, but for Donna it had exactly what the small room couldn’t offer—seclusion. “I chose a crystal doorknob for the Hobbit-sized door because the space felt magical.” The pair began converting it into a Hobbit-sized workspace. Even as Donna drywalled and painted her new space, questions crept into her mind, questions like, “Why was I always taking the smaller spaces? Why was I viewing my work as less important than Wayne’s?”

Donna soon outgrew the attic, which became unpractical given the unwieldy demands of completing a master’s degree while teaching. She returned to the small room beside the kitchen. When her mother became ill, that room was needed and the hunt began again for a suitable writing space.

“I began to covet Wayne’s luxurious office with an increasing intensity. I decided it was big enough for two. So the furniture that had been moved upstairs and then back down was moved upstairs again.”

Wayne’s office was much less luxurious once they were both sharing it. A decade after Donna moved into the farmhouse they built an addition on the back of the property and Wayne moved his office into the addition. Donna now has the creative

space that she has spent the past 10 years yearning for, and somewhere between all those transitions she completed her non-fiction book, Summer of the Horse (Harbour Publishing).

Donna Kane is a writer based in Rolla.

4. BACKYARD RETREAT “When you close the second door from within the space you hear a satisfying fwuuup.

The sound of locking yourself into a vacuum-sealed space.”

The outside is firmly locked out. It leaves Brennan free to construct his music without interruption. He can crank the volume without worrying about breaking his toddler’s eardrums or driving his sensitive border collie mad.

Brennan built a backyard studio where a garage once stood. The stained cedar panelling was brought in from Hazelton. He enlisted a professional carpenter and sifted through hours of Google research to create the perfect environment for generating music and keeping those sounds locked within its walls.

The knowledge that no one else can hear him as he creates is one of the biggest benefits for Brennan. “I used to play inside my house, and as comfortable as I feel with my partner, I always felt that I was kind of performing as there were other ears

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Suzo Hickey paints in her studio at the Museum of Northern BC but her subjects are often outdoor scenes, like this one of Lava Lake on the Nisga’a Highway.

in the house. I was less willing to sound horrible, to take risks and fall horribly short.”

Brennan’s creative space isn’t all about retreating from the outside world. On Fridays, he invites others in for jam sessions. The space is warmed by the lighting, and deep sofas and Persian carpets make for a welcoming atmosphere. For Brennan, the musical dialogue that transpires is invaluable to his growth as a musician.

Brennan’s proudest accomplishments exist in the collaborative experiences he describes as “fleeting moments of pure communication between players.” Those moments, collectively experienced, may be unrecorded but are at the core of what Brennan dreamt of achieving in this space.

“Creating music with others in an improvised fashion is so visceral. You can move and sense each other so acutely sometimes, and can make the most beautiful moments through listening to each other and supporting each other’s suggestions.”

Brennan Anderson is a Smithers-based music maker.

5. MUSKWA-KECHIKA “You don’t have to look hard when seeking solitude and truly wild spaces around here.

Above everything, I always come away with a feeling of gratitude when creating in these spaces.”

The Muskwa-Kechika is a vast wilderness area in northeast BC. Boreal forest meets the Northern Rocky Mountains here. There are wetlands, lakes, rivers, hot springs, and waterfalls—a vast habitat for many species of wildlife. On some clear nights, the aurora washes the sky with colour. “There is just something about this area that still seems so raw and unhindered.” This is Ryan’s creative space.

Ryan is a member of the Fort Nelson First Nation. He explores this landscape and examines the stars above as his Dene ancestors have for many generations. It is not an unchanging place. In the North, change happens fast.

“Summers are busy with the Alaska Highway at its peak. The land becomes wide open for the taking; new blooms, newborn animals, the sun never seems to go down. Next thing you know, winter arrives and everything changes. The days are short, everything a little more desolate, temperatures can dip below -40 degrees. It is important to see the beauty in both.”

Ryan hikes into these remote landscapes with a mirrorless or compact system camera. Travelling alone and on foot necessitates travelling light. His photographs capture rocks and rivers, waterfalls, and sunlight bursting through trees, but also the inhabitants of the region: lynx, moose, owls, bears, bison. Wildlife encounters

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are part of the experience of trekking through these diverse environments, and he embraces this kind of seclusion.

“I spend a lot of time out in the wild by myself. It forces you to be on the top of your game. Truly wild places demand that type of respect and attention to detail.”

Ryan Dickie is a freelance outdoor and wildlife photographer based in Fort Nelson.

6. AT THE MUSEUM “The studio building overlooks the harbour, which makes it easy for me to go for a walk along the waterfront for a bit of exercise, fresh air and beautiful scenery (and coffee at Cowpuccino’s).”

Suzo’s studio is located inside one of Prince Rupert’s most striking buildings.

Exposed beams and high ceilings might describe a trendy artist’s loft in one of Canada’s big urban centres, but here on the coast, Suzo is describing the great cedar longhouse that is the Museum of Northern British Columbia.

Suzo is a painter who has been living in Prince Rupert for the past two years, and she shares her space with a local photographer. Here, she has room to create, to build her canvas stretchers and to store completed pieces and shipping boxes. She often works alone, bringing in the sounds of others through CDs, CBC radio, or audiobooks played on her phone through a small speaker.

“I like its loftiness. Where my easel is set up is under the highest part of the ceiling, it just has a good feeling. The floor is cement and I sit on a rolling chair when I paint.

I enjoy the feeling of rolling 20 feet back to look at the painting.”

Suzo appreciates having time to work alone, but she also embraces the influence of others. Her most valued critic, her partner, has multiple sclerosis, so the wheelchair-accessible features built into the museum were a major selling point when Suzo first considered moving in. Foot traffic, particularly during the tourist season, was also attractive.

“I do like drop-ins. I put out a sign that says ‘Painting Studio – Open’ in hopes of luring curious people. It’s nice to have conversations about art and this is one way of making that happen.”

Suzo’s first local exhibit will be at the Ruth Harvey Gallery located within the museum, aptly titled I Like It Up Here (November 23rd, 2018 to January 15th, 2019).

Suzo Hickey is a painter based in Prince Rupert.

TRAIL MAP

Ptarmigan Mountain map by Morgan Hite, words by Matt J. Simmons

Ptarmigan Mountain, a stone’s throw from Prince Rupert, is a great spot to get up in the alpine and, on a clear day, check out some amazing views. It’s a slog, but those views are worth the effort.

To access the beginning of the route, park in the small pullout at Rainbow Summit, about 17 kms east of the Galloway Rapids bridge.

From there, hike the old road as it climbs for about half a kilometre to where the bush closes in; turn left and head up into the open muskeg. The cleared glades here were once the site of a small ski area. In winter, this trail is used by snowmobilers and is pretty easy to follow; in summer, it’s still relatively straightforward, but pay attention to your surroundings and to the map. It leads to a bench above Ptarmigan Lake. For a shorter hike you can just stop here or head down to the water’s edge to check out the lake, but for those wanting to bag Ptarmigan’s summit, gather your strength.

There are two routes to the peak: you can head into the bush directly in front of

you to follow the long north-facing ridge to the summit, or make your way to the terrace in front of the mountain to access the summit from its south ridge. Either way, hikers must be self-reliant from this point on—there are no defined trails, only routes.

To travel up the ridge, follow the map carefully—there is flagging to mark the way, but initial entry into the trees can be tricky. Once on the ridge, make your way slowly to the summit and enjoy the panorama. This route is 6.8 km return.

Alternatively, follow the bench to get at the steeper south-facing ridge of the mountain. In winter, snowmobilers travel this way to access an open basin behind the mountain. That makes it pretty easy going. (Summer is a different story, of course.)

When you get to the basin—an expansive area bordered on its eastern side by a spectacular cirque—pick a route up the steep slope.

From the summit, follow the north ridge back down to complete a circular route.

This way is 10.5 km return.

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photos: corrin peet

BackWords

music good egg records

photos: corrin peet

Prince George, 2018

Good things keep happening in Prince George, that city right smack dab in the middle of BC. The latest? A home-grown record label. Long-time musician, radio programmer, music director, and writer Britt Meierhofer recognized the need and saw an opportunity to consolidate part of the already tight-knit Prince George music community and present a united front under the Good Egg banner.

Originally created in 2016, the label was for Meierhofer’s own project Britt A.M. But she noticed that so many individual artists struggle for the same exposure, recording, and touring opportunities—efforts that could be simplified and strengthened by working together.

“Creating a solidified presence opens up our visibility and allows for more resources to be available,” Meierhofer says, “and therefore creates an easier path to the national eye.” And so she opened the Good Egg carton and started collecting a strong roster of local artists.

Officially launched as a record label in the spring of 2018 both on a new website and via the digital platform Bandcamp—a medium for labels and bands of all types to represent themselves and allow for easy and direct listener support—Good Egg Records released a compilation in April called Scrambled Eggs featuring a track from each of the 11 artists on the roster. Yours to download for $7 (or more).

The kind of work Meierhofer is doing with Good Egg Records is helping Prince George on its way to become a cultural centre of BC. While the classic rockers from yonder year and other big acts still come through and play the arenas, the work getting done down in the trenches of the local arts scene is the kind of work that lets the average person enjoy a casual night out to watch a band and not pay $80 for a ticket.

The kind of shows that makes you feel like art is alive in your town, not just passing through.

With a goal to have each artist on the label record a new album by the end of the year, you could say that the eggs are cracking over at Good Egg Records. Head over to goodeggrecords.com (or find them on Bandcamp) to check out the artists, listen to some great tracks, and help support original music created in the heart of BC. — David McTavish

May/June 2018

37

BACKWORDS

books grant lawrence Dirty Windshields: The Best and the Worst of the Smugglers Tour Diaries Douglas & McIntyre, 2017

I hurtled through this book like a van with sketchy brakes hurtles down a mountain.

Which is how Dirty Windshields opens: a bunch of drunk and stoned kids in an old VW van with no heating, on the Coquihala, in a snowstorm. Grant Lawrence tells the story of his formative years: being young, dumb, and full of, er...vigour, as his band, the Smugglers bashed their way through the music business in the 1990s.

“My very conservative father was totally against me being in a rock band,” says Lawrence, “but when he saw how absolutely determined I was, we made a deal, and the deal changed my life in many ways. He said: ‘If you insist on flushing your life down the economic toilet that is the music industry, at least make me the promise that you will write the misery down.’”

Lawrence agreed and kept a journal of every single show from the first. “From that journaling experience I not only had the backbone for this book, but once the Smugglers wound down like an old dog, I became a writer. So...thanks Dad.” Between the journals and bandmate Nick Thomas’ photos, Dirty Windshields is packed with nostalgia and detail. It’s predictably full of cringe-worthy moments, and has plenty of your typical band memoir fodder: sex, booze, drugs, and road-trip shenanigans.

What makes this book special is how it tells a very particular story, that of indie bands hacking out an existence in a commercially-dominated world, a shared story

that innumerable musicians have lived and breathed. The Smugglers were hustling shows and deals in matching outfits and gumboots all across Canada, the States, Europe, and Japan, sharing stages with the likes of Nardwuar and the Evaporators, Calvin Johnson (Beat Happening, K Records), Mudhoney, the Hives, Cub, and more. That scene is a pretty cool slice of history and this book captures it from an inside perspective.

The sheer tenacity of that DIY movement is undeniably impressive and Lawrence seemed unrelenting in pursuing his dream. Even if indie rock isn’t your bag, there’s something compelling about the guy’s stubbornness.

And then there’s all that travel. Much of what is told here is pretty dismal—things like sleeping in the van or on strangers’ floors and grumpy fights erupting as a result of spending way too much time with each other—but through everything Lawrence conveys a sense of joy and freedom. And it’s contagious.

Almost makes you want to buy a van.

— Matt J. Simmons

Roots Roundup ★Zimbamoto ★The Kwerks ★Faith Healer ★“Summoning (No Words)” Sound Art Installation by Nichola Harwood ★Mark Perry ★Cole Patenaude ★Blocktreat ★The Racket ★Anemone ★Napoleon Skywalker ★Cousin Arby ★ The Prettys ★Oot n Oots•Moth Mouth ★OK Vancouver OK ★Jesaja Class ★Kym Gouchie ... plus over 40 regional acts! presented by he Bulkley Valley Folk Music Society

38 May/June 2018

www.smithers musicfest.com LIVE Music • Camping • Arts & Music Workshops • Kids’ Stage & FunZone • Food & Crafts

RD TICKETS EARLY BI are limited quantity,

and only available until

$

June 17th

!!! adult weekend passes s er ith Sm ONLINE & in OKS at MOUNTAIN EAGLE BO

55

$ gate after June 17 70 at the

p h o t o s : a a ro n r u b i n

June 29-July 1, 2018 smithers fairgrounds

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

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

IntegrIty

Professionalism

Q ua l i t y

for

100% Fair Trade Organic Coffee since 1997!!

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

p h o t o s : a a ro n r u b i n

order at beannorth.com or purchase our coffee at any of these fine northern 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 May/June 2018

39

MARKETPLACE

Two Sisters Cafe Food for life

Organic, locally sourced, fresh & delicious.

3763 4th Avenue, Smithers 250-877-7708 twosisterscafe.ca Find us on instagram: @two.sisters.cafe.

Chef Abhi’s

HornCraft Music

Classic Indian cuisine

Professional repairs, rentals, and sales of violins, brass, and woodwind instruments

Come join us!

Experience the beautiful tastes and aromas of southern India at Chef Abhi’s, at the Lodge at Skeena Landing, open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday.

Visit our website for a listing of local music instructors. Contact us if you are an instructor anywhere in northern BC and would like to be listed on our site.

Located at The Lodge @ Skeena Landing, Thornhill 778.634.2999 skeenalanding.com

3877 13th Avenue, Smithers 250.847.0318 . michael@horncraft.ca horncraft.ca

Baker Extraordinaire

Baked fresh every day!

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

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

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

40 May/June 2018

The Lodge

Skeena Landing Conveniently located minutes from Terrace, The Lodge is the perfect quiet getaway for any traveller. A few steps and you’re at the doors of great shops and an on-site restaurant. The recentlyrenovated Lodge ensures excellent comfort and a quality stay.

Short-term serviced and executive apartments available. Visit our website for online reservations.

Skeena Landing, Thornhill, Terrace 250.638.0444 skeenalanding.com

MARKETPLACE

Smithers Co-Working Space

Shared office space in Smithers

The Smithers Co-Working Space is a quiet, bright, and modern place for you to work.

Desk and office space for rent, by the day or by the month. Flat, affordable rates. Includes wi-fi, utilities, desk, lockable filing cabinets, and the use of a meeting room.

Suite #200, 3848 3rd Avenue, Smithers 250.845.2522 . nadina1@cfnadina.ca coworkhere.ca

Stone Moth

Canadian Goods & Vintage Collectibles

Roadhouse Smithers

Comfort food, well travelled

We carry Canadian designed and made fashion, jewelry, beauty, gifts, and more, alongside quirky one-of-a-kind vintage pieces. There’s always something new to check out! Come have a look for yourself.

1257 Main Street, Smithers 250.877.9570 . stonemoth.com

Comfort food, fresh ingredients, made with love. Open lunch & late, brunch 9am-2pm weekends. Great coffee, cocktails and we serve craft beer on tap.

3711 Alfred Ave, Smithers 250.847.2101 Check www.roadhouse-smithers.com for hours.

Before

After

Wood Wizards

Vet to Pet Mobile Service Mobile veterinary services

Get your subscription now

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.

NEW LOCATION: 8 to 5 and Saturdays 11-5 at 1283 Main Street in Smithers (in the corner, by Louise’s Kitchen). If you need a fast answer, please call or text. Caring for your pets for 36 years.

Subscriptions make great gifts! Head to northword.ca for easy paypal payment, or send a cheque, with the name and address of your gift recipient to our main office.

Making weathered wood look good

Roger Jaques 250.846.5944 woodwizards.ca | rogeryogini@gmail.com

778.210.1883 vettopetinfo@gmail.com vettopetmobile.ca

Northword

1412 Freeland Ave., Smithers, BC, V0J 2N4 Canada: $30 | US: $40 | International: $60 northword.ca/the-magazine/subscribe

May/June 2018

41

Aam wil bakwsim / We Welcome You 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

Tweedsmuir Park Uncha Mountain

Rose Lake Pinkut Lake

Hiking

visitburnslake.ca

F

Margus Riga

May – July is peak bear-viewing season!

Come Visit Us and Explore!

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

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

• Guided tours of the lava fields, lava cone: Nass Valley Tours 1-855-568-8687 & Visitor Centre exhibit.

Your Tour Professionals

Toll free 1-800-201-8377 • 250 - 624 - 8199 120 – 215 Cow Bay Road, Prince Rupert, BC V8J 1A2

www.adventuretours.net

42 May/June 2018

• Vetter Falls Lodge — pristine wilderness experience.

• Tour K-’alii-Aksim Lisims (the Nass River) and see our famous Fish Wheels: 250 633 2617

open for business 13 / 14, 2018 Forum June in GITLAXT’AAMIKS Aam wil bakwsim / We Welcome You

nisgaatourism.ca

p h o t o : b ro d i e g u y

ear Tours • Whale Watching To B y l z urs Griz

• Hlgu Isgwit, our hotsprings — water heated by nature.

p h o t o : b ro d i e g u y

Last Word

T

his past March, I experienced for the first time the awakening of the vast K’alii-Aksim Lisims (the Nass River). Early in the Nisga’a new year, these are often the coldest days in a landscape lying dormant since its previous great salmon run. A tiny fish, the Saak eulachon, kicks off each year by arriving in the millions, and single-handedly breathes life back into this empty space from beneath the icy floes.

The runs of eulachon, a cultural keystone species, have collapsed in watersheds along the coast. But here, I was grateful to witness the vibrant return of these little beings at a scale that transformed the landscape. Rafts of sea lions, cacophonies of gulls and eagles, and plumes of smoke rising from stink houses along the frozen riverbanks blended into a preternatural experience.

Along BC’s coastline, the life eulachon give rise to has been fading into memory.

In many river systems, the rivers run clear of these small fish; children no longer catch eulachon with their bare hands and families no longer work together along the riverbanks. Old fishing camps are deserted and stink houses are receding into the forest. Visiting quiet rivers this time of year, I’m aware of a great loss of wealth. But there is new hope that these places will come alive again.

In April, several schools of eulachon returned to the Bella Coola River for the first time in over twenty years; their magic and the life they give will follow, just as it endures along the K’alii-Aksim Lisims.

— Brodie Guy

May/June 2018

43

photo: John Wellburn

smithers british columbia

Get good natured. www.TourismSmithers.com